


Abandoned

by BlackHunter666



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherhood, Building A New Life, Forgotten Clones, Gen, M/M, abandoned, new home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-11
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-07 02:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3158507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackHunter666/pseuds/BlackHunter666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's finally happened, the Jedi have managed to forget about several clones in the chaos of another battle. While most of the Republic fleet races away to confront another Separatist attack elsewhere in the galaxy, the innocent people are left to clean up the mess. But as they clear away the rubble, they uncover the abandoned clones and dig them out of the wreckage.</p><p>But what will happen when these two completely different cultures try to survive together. The clones know they are duty bound to call for a pick up but will any of them want to leave if the Republic shows up for them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Discovery

Flinching away from the bright light that suddenly invaded his darkened hollow, Rex groaned faintly and screwed his eyes shut behind his visor. The electronics were completely inactive, so his usual filters were also out of commission along with the reassuring feeds of information he relied on in the heat of battle.  
'We have a survivor! Quickly, we must get him out.' an unfamiliar voice called as a firm hand gripped Rex's right hand. 'Be still, we will have you out soon.'  
'WH-what happened?' Rex coughed, fire racing through his chest as he tried to move enough to see the speaker above him.  
'You were caught when one of the damaged buildings collapsed.' the other man replied, squeezing his hand again. 'Try and stay still, you have been trapped for two standard days now.'  
'Where is General Skywalker?' Rex tried, finally managing to look up at the man holding onto him so securely. 'What about my team?'  
'The Jedi left once the battle was won. They said something about another battle that needed their attention.' his companion offered, shifting a little to shade Rex's helmet from the sun. 'We are still searching the ruins of our city for any other soldiers left behind when our capital fell into itself.'  
'The General…left? But…he knows…I am…loyal…Why would…he just…abandon…me to die?' Rex uttered, trying to understand why he had been left in this dark hole.  
'I have no answers for you, friend. I only know what I heard and witnessed.' the other man sighed, squeezing Rex's hand again. 'I am Ari, son of Ralir and Nerila.'  
'I am…Captain Rex…son of none.' Rex nodded, slumping against the walls of his temporary prison. 'I am a clone.'  
'Ari! Come out of there before the rubble shifts again!' another, deeper male voice called from somewhere beyond Rex's sight.  
'I cannot leave him, father. He is badly injured.' Ari replied, looking over his shoulder as he spoke.  
'Go, I…will survive…I have…survived so…much, this is…just…another…challenge.' Rex guided, finding it hard to speak past the burning in his chest. 'Go, Ari…I will…see you…after.'  
'Turanisai. I will be waiting for your retrieval from this rubble pile.' Ari smiled, squeezing Rex's hand again before he disappeared from sight.

Listening to the worrying creaking of his armour with every breath, Rex kept his gaze on the gap above him and catalogued his various pains. He needed to do something with his mind or he would drive himself crazy trying to understand why they had been abandoned. Curling up a little more, hissing through his teeth as his ribs gave a painful throb, he raised his arms to protect his head and waited, listening to the scraping of stones above and running through his list of injuries to make sure nothing had been forgotten.

Several hands were suddenly grabbing at him, tugging at his armour and bodysuit in a concentrated effort. Swallowing another pained groan, Rex kicked off the stones around him and grabbed two of the hands pulling at his armour. Twisting, heaving and swearing under his breath, Rex finally made it out of the hole and slumped into the arms of his rescuers.  
'Thank you.' Rex panted, relaxing his grip and allowing the pair holding him up to ease him to the hard ground. 'Thank you.'  
'Here, you must be thirsty.' a young woman asked, crouching beside Rex.  
'Do you know…if any other…clones were…rescued?' Rex questioned, struggling up onto his elbows and carefully working his helmet off.  
'I do not know.' she replied, helping to lift the mangled helmet off and supporting Rex so he could drink without too much pain. 'My husband might know, he was involved with the fighting.'  
'Please, I need to know.' Rex nodded, bracing his weight and fumbling with the catches on his chest plate. 'My people…are counting…on me to…keep them safe.'  
'I will find out, but only if you rest.' she smiled, lifting away the cracked chest plate and jumping when it broke apart in her hands. 'I…'  
'It's not your…fault. I…could feel it…was badly damaged.' Rex soothed, reaching out to pat her knee lightly. 'Just leave it there…with my helmet.'

Sagging back to the hard ground, Rex panted softly as he clutched at his ribs and tried to will the pain down. Eyes closed against the blazing sun, he knew he should try and move towards shelter but the very idea of moving sent another bolt of pain through his ribs. Hearing someone behind him, Rex shifted just as a shadow fell across his head and shoulders.  
'So that is what you look like beneath your warrior garments.' Ari chuckled, adjusting something before sitting down beside Rex.  
'Just one face…among millions.' Rex nodded, cracking one eye open. 'We are all the same but we try to make ourselves different.'  
'My father gave me these, he hoped they might bring you comfort. These are pictures of the living that have been pulled from the rubble throughout the city. The children bring them to my father so he can keep track.' Ari explained, setting a pile of strange material on Rex's abdomen. 'Be still, I will hold them up for you.'  
'Thank you. It hurts to breathe…much less move.' Rex replied, looking up at the rough cloth hanging over him. 'And thank you…for the shade.'  
'As soon as our healers have reclaimed their grounds, you will be moved there. But for now, you are safe here.' Ari smiled, pointing to the right for a moment. 'Are you ready to see these?'  
'I need to know…who is here.' Rex insisted, desperate to know just how many were left behind on this planet.  
'These are only the living. The dead will be recorded before burial.' Ari guided, picking up the first item on Rex's abdomen and holding it for him to see.

Looking at the rough lines that had been scrawled on what appeared to be a section of animal hide, Rex took a few minutes to connect the scrawled black lines with any familiar set of armour that he had seen on the battlefield. The lines didn't match perfectly but there was only one man in the 501st with those particular geometric designs.  
'Hardcase, he's brash but loyal.' Rex nodded, straightening out a few rough lines in his mind.  
'Okay, try this one.' Ari smiled, writing something on the first skin and putting it aside as he held another out for Rex.  
'Dogma, a bit of a stick but he's a good man.' Rex offered, finding it easier to cope with the pain now that he was distracted.  
'This will be very helpful as we try to make friends with your companions.' Ari praised, marking the second skin and picking up another.  
'Jesse, he's a cheeky one and spends a lot of time around Hardcase.' Rex smiled, grateful to have a little help with controlling Hardcase.

Gazing up at the next skin held above him, Rex swallowed quickly and had to force back a cry of shock and disappointment. With just one skin, his understanding of this situation had changed dramatically. Not only had several members of the 501st been left behind but now he was faced with the proof that the 212th had been forgotten about as well.  
'Cody, another leader…different colour because…he leads a different…group.' Rex offered, eyes wide in shock as the page was taken away. 'Any more?'  
'These two, they're very similar and these location marks tell me they were found together.' Ari replied, holding up the last two images.  
'That one on…the right is Boil…the other is Waxer.' Rex replied, exhaustion starting to settle in again. 'Keep them together. They are vital to each other.'  
'I will make sure the rescue teams get the message. Rest now, I will keep watch and make sure you are given care as soon as we have a healer available.' Ari soothed, writing something on another skin and motioning off to the side. 'Run this back to Tralin and his rescue team.'  
'Of course, Ari.' a young girl replied, clutching the skins to her chest as she ran away.

Shifting a little on the hard ground, a pained noise slipping past his lips, Rex managed to find a reasonably comfortable position and closed his eyes once more. He doubted he would get any proper rest, his chest was still burning with pain but between the reduced burden now that his chest plate was removed and the exhaustion, Rex was reasonably certain he would get some kind of rest.

~%~%~%~%~

Hacking and spitting away from where he was trapped, Gus was somewhat grateful for the fact his helmet had failed and broken in two. It made it much easier for him in his current predicament. His right hand was pinned in the debris, he'd lost all sensation some time ago and could only hope he wouldn't lose it. His left was locked in a death grip around the hand of another clone that was down in this infernal hole with him. The other guy had been quiet the whole time and it was too dark to tell if he was alive or not so Gus just assumed he was in too much pain to speak and tried to fill the silence around them.

Spitting again to try and clear the bile from the back of his throat, Gus sagged back against the wall and squeezed the hand he was still holding tight.  
'Well, this is a fine mess. I can't figure why the Jedi are taking so long to dig us out. I know we're meant to be expendable but still. They have to know we're alive down here. They have to at least try to get us out, right? Surely they're out there, they wouldn't just abandon us.' Gus sighed, turning to regard his companion. 'Maybe I'm just being overly optimistic. They can easily replace all of us.'

Flinching when he heard stone scraping above him, Gus looked over at his companion just as one of the stones was moved away and their shared prison was flooded with light. Yanking his left hand back, Gus turned and choked up a little more bile, horrified by what had been revealed to him. His companion throughout this torment wasn't just quiet or in serious pain. A large piece of the debris had crushed his chest and skull, leaving just his right arm and leg exposed.  
'Get over here with the wasri burner!' someone called above him, drawing Gus' attention to the opening overhead. 'We must be careful, this one has a hand trapped among the debris.'  
'I can live without my hand, just get me out of here!' Gus insisted, locking eyes with the man leaning over the hole.  
'Here, breathe this. It will ease your pain and fear. It will not take us long to pry the rubble apart enough for you to pull free.' another man offered, climbing down into the pit and offering out a length of metal tubing. 'I am healer Tralin, I will stay with you until you are freed.'  
'They call me Gus. Just get me out of here, I can't stay near that.' Gus replied, indicating behind the healer. 'I don't want to remember Drift like that.'  
'Peace, Gus, your friend will receive a proper burial but the living must take preference.' Tralin soothed, offering out the tube again. 'Breathe deep, it will take away your pain.'

Latching onto the tubing, Gus inhaled the sharp smoke deep into his lungs and coughed lightly, feeling a heavy relaxation spreading through his limbs as the smoke took effect. Head rolling back on his shoulders, he smiled faintly as another man squeezed into the hole and worked a flat metal lever into the rubble. Drifting peacefully, his thoughts slowed down to almost nothing, Gus stared out at nothing as the man in the pit worked with someone above to pry the stones apart just enough.  
'Here we go, pull your arm out Gus.' Tralin guided, reaching across to grab Gus' right arm and pull his hand free. 'That's it, you're free now.'  
'Feeling good too.' Gus slurred, limp and relaxed as hands grabbed him under the arms and pulled him up out of the pit that had been his prison.  
'Put him down near the other one we dragged out.' Tralin instructed, accepting a helping hand to climb out of the pit.

Lifting his head from the soft pillow he'd been given when he'd been set out here in the shade, Sketch smiled faintly at the sight of another clone being pulled from the rubble around this area. Wherever the Jedi were, Sketch really hoped they were negotiating for the medicines these people could provide. Despite a broken leg and numerous bloody gashes all over his body, Sketch was feeling no pain whatsoever, his mind drifting on a peaceful cloud as he waited to be taken to the healer station.

Half rolling onto his side so he could see who had been pulled out, Sketch gasped at the sight of Gus as he was set out beside him gently. Reaching out with one shaking hand, Sketch helped the healer to remove Gus' chest plate and placed his hand on Gus' chest, feeling each breath and hanging his head in relief.  
'No more smoke for you, chew this instead. It will help with your pain but allow you to process what you have suffered.' Tralin guided, encouraging Gus to chew on a couple of greyish leaves.  
'I can help him work through his emotions. Gus and I have endured much together.' Sketch nodded, lightly rubbing his hand over Gus' shoulder and chest as Tralin started working on his bloodied right hand. 'Easy vod, you're safe now.'

Leaning over his shaken brother, Sketch held him loosely but firmly, pinning Gus to the ground and muttering calming words in his ear. This was familiar, their squad would always seek each other out after the adrenaline of battle had worn off and they could breathe again. In those quiet moments, they would cling and talk quietly, reassuring each other that they had survived.  
'Sketch?' Gus muttered, dark eyes clearing as the smoke effects started to wear off.  
'I'm here Gus, I'm right here.' Sketch nodded, leaning back a little. 'Just stay still, let the healer work on your hand.'  
'Drift is dead. Crushed by the debris.' Gus whispered, shock and horror written across his face.  
'He will never be forgotten.' Sketch promised, glancing down as Gus wrapped his left hand around his back and grabbed at his bodysuit. 'I've got you, you're safe now.'  
'I could have been the one killed. I was holding his hand, talking to him and then I found out he was dead.' Gus continued, clutching desperately at Sketch's back. 'Thought he was unconscious or something, not that.'  
'Let it go, vod, I've got you.' Sketch coaxed, glancing at the healer for a moment. 'Is it safe to roll him onto his side?'  
'Of course.' Tralin nodded, supporting Gus' mangled hand tenderly. 'Take it slowly, Gus.'

Settling comfortably on his side, Sketch held Gus to his chest with a firm tenderness, head tucked under his chin as Gus choked for a moment before the tears fell. Cautious not to bump Gus' right arm as Tralin continued to work on his hand, Sketch rubbed Gus' back and whispered reassuring words and promises that their squad would be reunited again.  
'That will hold until I can get you back to my station and access the rest of my supplies.' Tralin offered, guiding Gus' mangled hand in between them. 'Try not to knock it around, the wounds are still not properly supported.'  
'You don't need to worry too much, Tralin. Gus will not move from this position, he needs my presence now more than anything else.' Sketch nodded, tightening his hold on his brother. 'I'll never let you go, Gus. It's okay now, we're safe at last.'

~%~%~%~%~

Hunched over, clutching at his shoulders and rocking slowly in his tiny hole, Punch screwed his eyes closed against the constraining walls. He had no idea how long he'd been in his cramped position now, his legs were numb from him having to sit on them just to fit in the tight quarters.  
'Clones don't cry…clones don't cry…clones don't cry.' he uttered, fighting back tears that threatened to well up in his eyes. 'Clones don't cry…clones don't cry.'

Hanging his head, he fought back another wave of helplessness as he gripped his shoulders tighter and tried to imagine his brothers were holding onto him after another hard fought battle. He would trade anything to have any of his brothers with him, anything but this crushing darkness. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could handle before he completely lost his mind.

Just as he was starting to lose all hope of rescue, Punch heard voices overhead and looked up, one hand up to shield his eyes as the stone shifted and revealed his way out. Reaching up to the strangers gathered around the hole, Punch grabbed their reaching hands and tried to stand but his legs wouldn't cooperate and he slumped again.  
'We've got you. Just hold on tight, we'll get you out.' one of the men guided, reaching down with both hands and grabbing at Punch's armour.  
'That's it, hold onto us.' another man added, getting his hands under his shoulders.  
'Thank you. Thank you so much.' Punch replied, reaching up for another extended hand and trying to relax as he was pulled out of the hole.

Sagging on the hard stones, Punch gasped for breath and swallowed his tears, determined not to look weak in front of those who had just saved his life. Taking his time to make sure everything was still working, he slowly pushed up to one knee and eased up onto his feet, leaning on a couple of the locals to help him stay upright.  
'Punch! You're alive!' Chopper's voice cut through the calls of the rescue teams, drawing Punch's attention to his left.  
'Chopper! You're safe, vod!' Punch grinned, releasing his rescuers and stumbling towards his brother. Each step sent burning agony up his legs but he didn't care.

Catching Punch when he stumbled again, Chopper held him close and braced against his weight until Punch could get full control of his legs again. Clutching at Chopper's battered armour, Punch got his feet back under him and pressed close, so very glad to be alive and back with his brother.  
'I thought I was going to die down there.' Punch whispered, hiding his face in Chopper's neck.  
'I'm here, vod, I've got you now.' Chopper replied, squeezing tight and trying his best to comfort Punch after his close call. 'Let it go, I understand.'  
'Don't let go, Chopper, don't ever let me go.' Punch pleaded, trying to get as close as possible while they were both still wearing armour.  
'I'll always be right here for you. Let it go, I'll be right here to put you back together in the end.' Chopper promised, cupping Punch's head in one hand. 'I understand, you can trust me to keep you safe right now.'

Rocking slowly as they stood there, Chopper hummed softly and ran his fingers through Punch's filthy hair as he sobbed, shoulders heaving with each heartfelt noise. Though Punch had a reputation as a tough guy and had earned his name for starting fights in the barracks, those closest to him knew he was just a scared young man acting strong. Chopper understood that sort of pain, he was always trying to show he wasn't defective or deficient but no one could be strong all the time. Even the strongest men in the GAR had their hidden cracks.

Feeling the change in Punch's shoulders, Chopper shifted his stance and swept his brother up into his arms, cradling him close as he headed over to where he could see other clones flaked out in the shade. Picking his way carefully through the rubble, Chopper smiled faintly as Punch managed to cry himself to sleep in the secure embrace of his brother.  
'Sleep on, vod. I have the watch.' Chopper whispered, pushing aside his own exhaustion to keep Punch safe.

Sinking down beside the brothers that had already been pulled to safety, Chopper made sure Punch was comfortable before turning hi attention to the pair curled into each other just beside him. Doing a double take, Chopper sagged a little more and reached out to rest one hand on Sketch's shoulder, taking great comfort in having most of his squad together.  
'Hmmm?' Sketch muttered, turning his head a little. 'Chopper?'  
'Lek vod. Punch is here too.' Chopper nodded, easing Punch off his lap and settling him behind Sketch. 'We just have to hope Jester survived.'  
'He's out there, I just know it.' Sketch insisted, turning his attention back to Gus. 'Shhh, go back to sleep vod. You're safe here.'

Accepting two of the pillows from the local woman sitting nearby, Chopper tucked one under Punch's head and guided one limp arm over Sketch's side to rest on Gus' waist. Satisfied that Punch was at least reasonably comfortable, Chopper moved around to curl into Gus' back. The anger that had once kept them separated within the squad had dissipated after Slick's betrayal, both men deeply hurt by the actions of a man they should have been able to trust. Now they were able to lean on each other when times were hard.

~%~%~%~%~

Feeling better for the pain relieving leaves he'd been chewing on and the firm strapping around his chest, Rex still kept his right hand pressed to his ribs as he sat among his fellow wounded brothers and waited for news. The locals were still hard at work, digging through the rubble of their home city in a search for more survivors. Personally, Rex doubted that they would find many more, the city was a total ruin and his could only take so much before they died.

So far Rex hadn't told anyone else what Ari had told him, he didn't want to add to the stress of the situation by taking away their hope of a rescue. His brothers needed something to cling to or they would give up and stop trying to survive. They had to be allowed to believe that rescue was coming, at least for a little while. Once they were stronger, Rex would tell them the truth of the situation.

Perhaps he should tell Cody, but looking down at his bloodied brother beside him, Rex couldn't find the heart to ruin his hope for rescue either. Cody was in bad shape, his body showing all the signs of internal bleeding on top of his broken bones and all his cuts and grazes from the fallen debris.  
'Rex, this is my father Ralir. He wants to know if there are any other places we should be searching for more of your kind.' Ari offered, crouching beside Rex's reclined chair.  
'Maybe. Two of my best were sent to investigate a strange energy reading, in the hopes it would explain why the Seppies were so interested in your world.' Rex nodded, turning his attention to the older man behind Ari. 'Do you have any maps of the planet? Pictures of the land around us?'  
'We had some old survey drawings but we cannot reach them. They were kept in the leading hall at the heart of the city.' Ralir nodded, pointing to the large rubble pile off to the left. 'Why do you ask?'  
'My brothers were sent to an area north-west of this city I believe. The energy source was strongest among some old stone buildings nestled beside a mountain. I have the exact location in my helmet memory but the electronics are not working.' Rex explained, trying to recall the maps he'd seen and where his missing men might be. 'I recall seeing a stone arch and several columns, some of which had fallen to the ground. Six buildings I think, five smaller ones arranged in a circle and one larger one built into the mountainside.'  
'That sounds like the old temple grounds. I will send runners immediately.' Ralir replied, turning and whistling sharply before running from sight.  
'Your ability to recall details is astounding.' Ari remarked, shifting to sit beside Rex.  
'It's a fairly normal thing among my brothers. The ability to recall details under pressure is part of what keeps us alive.' Rex shrugged, turning his gaze back to Cody. 'Any word on when a healer will be available? Cody is not going to survive much longer without help.'  
'I will go and find one of the healers immediately.' Ari nodded, bounding up and running away at full sprint.

Relaxing back into his padded seat, Rex closed his eyes and once again tried to will away the last remnants of pain still scraping away at his chest. The leaves were a big help and the strapping had eased a lot of the grinding he could feel but there was still that little edge that refused to leave him. It would fade in time but this was still an unknown situation and he might not have all the time he needed to fully recover from his beating.

Just as he was starting to settle, Rex was yanked back to reality by a familiar scream. He's heard that particular scream before, on another battlefield far from this place. Adrenaline kicking in, he vaulted from his padded chair and ran, ignoring the calls for him to return to his rest and leave the searchers to their work.

Weaving through the various rescue teams still digging through the rubble, Rex focused on one particular knot of people, his sharp hearing picking up on the agonised whimpers beneath the burble of voices talking about how to rescue their latest victim. Pushing through the gathering, Rex took a knee beside the hole they had opened and peered down into the darkness.

Wide, frightened eyes looked back up at him, dried blood smeared across familiar features and fresh blood oozing from dozens of cuts and scrapes all over his exposed skin. One weak hand reached up to Rex, trembling fingers trying to grasp at his presence.  
'I'm here vod'ika, you're safe now.' Rex soothed, climbing into the hole and kneeling beside his wounded brother. 'I've got you, you'll be okay.'  
'Hurts so much.'  
'I know, I know. These people will not hurt you, they're here to get you out.' Rex nodded, leaning over his trapped brother and hugging him awkwardly. 'I'll be right here until they get you out.'  
'I don't want to die down here.'  
'You're not going to die down here, vod'ika.' Rex insisted, lifting his gaze to the men gathered around the hole. 'Pass me the wasri burner and painkiller leaves. He trusts me, I can get him to accept your ways so you can rescue him.'  
'Don't leave me, I can't handle this alone.'  
'I'm not going anywhere vod'ika.' Rex promised, shifting to sit and guiding his trapped brother to rest his head in his lap. 'I know this is strange but try breathing this in. It really does help with pain and works great to calm you down. And before you ask, I know it's safe because I saw Cody taking it and he's fine.'  
'I trust you, Rex.'

Holding the burner in one hand, Rex kept working to physically calm his brother as he inhaled the smoke and breathed out slowly. Light touched stroking over revealed muscles, calming and helping to send his brother deeper into his relaxed state.  
'That's it Kix, just relax and let go of your pain. I'm here, I'll be here until you're freed from this mess.' Rex uttered, looking up at the gathered men. 'Okay, now you should be able to work without causing him too much pain.'  
'Are you sure you want to stay down there? We could be at this for several hours.' one of the men asked, leaning on a stout steel pole.  
'I will not abandon Kix right now. I am the ranking officer, it's my responsibility to make sure my men are safe.' Rex nodded, allowing Kix another breath from the burner. 'There you go Kix, nice and easy. Dream of safety and home, I'll keep you safe.'  
'As you wish, Rex.' another man shrugged, turning and barking orders in that strange language most of the working men had been using.

~%~%~%~%~

Relieved that they had finally been moved undercover, Dogma settled back under the blankets he'd been given and gazed up at the ceiling. This wasn't right, the wounded should have been evacuated up to the cruisers, not left behind with these people to wait in agony. He could hear some of his brothers groaning in pain in the next room and sighed, wondering why the Jedi hadn't authorised their evacuation.

Rubbing lightly at the hard cloth that encased his right arm from wrist to elbow, Dogma sighed softly and tried to get some rest but his mend kept going back to the fact they were still on the planet. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any of his brothers in the rescue parties either, only those that had been pulled from the rubble and either taken to the healer station or placed respectfully on carts pulled by quadruped animals and taken out of the city.

But if his brothers weren't involved in the rescue parties and the wounded hadn't been evacuated off this planet, did that mean that the fight had gone against the Republic and the Jedi had been forced to retreat? If the Jedi had been forced into retreat, why couldn't he hear the incoming Seppies aiming to slaughter everything they found on this world? But on the other hand, what if the Jedi were so caught up in the fighting that they didn't realise just how many had been left behind? Perhaps those carts were taking the most seriously wounded to waiting gunships somewhere nearby because of all the damage. Though, if the gunships were landing nearby, why couldn't he hear them and why hadn't they been picked up as well?

Shaken out of his thoughts at the sound of footsteps approaching, Dogma shifted on his temporary bed and managed to sit up, hissing softly as he jarred his broken arm. Listening carefully, he heard at least two clones talking with a couple of the locals as the footsteps came closer to where he was sitting patiently.  
'There is space for him in here.'  
'Has a healer been summoned?'  
'Healer Tralin is already waiting.'  
'You were incredibly brave to climb into the rubble like you did.'  
'Not brave, just a brother. We clones look out for each other.'  
'But to go so deep into the rubble without knowing if it was stable.'  
'It doesn't matter. My brothers needed me and so I went in there after them.'  
'I speak for Kix when I say thank you for coming in after us, sir.'  
'You're my brother, Tup. I will always make sure you're safe.'  
'That means a lot, Captain. We all take comfort in knowing you'll never let the Republic abandon us to our fates.'

Kicking off the blankets and standing, Dogma groaned faintly as his bruised body complained but he was determined and limped towards the doorway, cautious of putting too much strain on his severely sprained left ankle. Leaning against the wall, he pushed the coarsely woven curtain aside and peered out into the dimly lit corridor.  
'Dogma? Is that you?' Tup called softly, leaving the group still moving along the corridor and approaching Dogma slowly.  
'I'm here Tup.' Dogma nodded, tightening his grip on the doorframe. 'I was worried about you.'  
'I was lucky, barely a scratch on me thanks to a narrow hole and a deeper pit.' Tup shrugged, right hand clutching at his left shoulder as he hissed softly. 'di'kut, you can't do that.'  
'I warned you to be careful of your shoulder.'  
'Forgive me healer Traxil, I meant no disrespect to your craft.' Tup replied, turning to the older man that had come up beside him.  
'And you should not be out of bed.' Traxil continued, dark grey eyes turning to Dogma.  
'I only came this far to check on my brothers. Now that I know they are safe and who has been returned to us, I will return to my bed.' Dogma offered, dipping his head respectfully. 'I only ask that Tup be allowed in to share the space with me, Traxil.'  
'His injuries are minor and need little overnight attention. He may share your room, I am needed with the severely wounded.' Traxil agreed, waving Tup away and turning to follow the rest of the group into another room.

Closing the distance, Tup followed Dogma back into the room and looked around at the simple accommodations that had been prepared for them. Setting his removed armour down beside the other piles against one wall, Tup turned and looked at Dogma, relief and shock warring in his eyes. Two steps and he was wrapped around Dogma, mindful of their injuries as they clung to each other as tight as they could.  
'I thought I'd lost you.' Dogma whispered, hiding his face in Tup's shoulder. 'I thought I'd never see you again.'  
'I know, I feared the worst too.' Tup replied, bracing Dogma when he wobbled. 'Come on, into bed. It's been a long day.'  
'Don't leave me, I need you here.' Dogma pleaded, finally able to let go of his stoic mask. 'I can't do this without you.'  
'I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere.' Tup promised, helping Dogma into bed and perching on the side of the bed.

Working off the rest of his armour, Tup tossed it all into the pile he'd started and slipped his shirt off, grateful for Dogma's help so he didn't upset his shoulder again. Kicking off his boots, Tup turned and stretched out beside Dogma, right arm wrapped around his squad-brother and lover. He smiled softly as Dogma curled up against him, braced arm resting on his chest lightly as they reaffirmed their connection.  
'We're not going home, are we?' Dogma asked, eyes closing as he relaxed over Tup.  
'What makes you say that?' Tup questioned, rubbing random patterns over Dogma's shoulder.  
'The only brothers I've seen are either dead or wounded, I haven't heard any gunships or other transports and there are no sounds or smells of battle lingering.' Dogma sighed, so very grateful to have Tup back with him.  
'I should have realised that you would figure it out, Dogma.' Rex cut in, stepping into the room and letting the curtain flutter back behind him.  
'Sir?' Tup asked, keeping Dogma tucked close as he watched Rex head towards the other bed in this room. 'Do you mean to say…'  
'We've been abandoned. The Republic won the battle and left, I was told they had been called to another battle and left with all haste.' Rex nodded, working off his remaining armour and sinking back on his bed. 'We're on our own now.'  
'But…surely they could sense we were still alive.' Dogma uttered, a faint tremble starting up in his muscles. 'I know we're meant to be…'  
'Don't say it, Dogma. I know what we're meant to be but that doesn't make it hurt any less.' Rex sighed, turning his attention to the pair. 'I thought we mattered. Thought we meant something.'  
'We do mean something. If not to the Jedi, than to each other. I could have died down there, I was down to my last ration stick when you came for me, Rex. You saved my life and you saved Kix. That's got to mean something, you'll always mean something to us.' Tup offered, torn for what to do right now. Dogma needed him but Rex was barely holding it together.

Making his choice, Tup eased Dogma onto his back and soothed him with a quick kiss, promising to return to his last squad-brother as soon as he'd dealt with Rex's unsteady emotions. Slipping out of their shared bed, Tup crossed the room and sat beside Rex, reaching out to grasp his hands firmly without risking further injury.  
'You don't have to be strong all the time. Let us help, we're strong enough to lift the burden off your shoulders. Lean on us, we can carry you through the hard times and set you back on your feet.' Tup coaxed, squeezing his hands in support. 'Let go, I'll be right here to put you back together.'  
'I can't…I'm the ranking clone here.' Rex uttered, unshed tears glistening in the light coming through the windows above them. 'At least, until Cody recovers.'  
'Everyone is resting, safe under the eyes of the local healers. There is nothing more you can do tonight. Now is a chance for you to unwind and focus on your own needs for a little while.' Tup coaxed, used to dealing with Dogma's uptight ways so getting Rex to let go shouldn't be too hard.  
'I…no, I…' Rex tried, swallowing quickly and turning his face away.  
'Let it go, Rex. You're hurt too, you need this.' Tup nodded, releasing his grip on Rex's hands and reaching out to run his right hand over Rex's hair. 'No one can be strong all the time.'

Picking up on the faint change in Rex's breathing, Tup eased him up and held him close, stroking Rex's back and cradling his head to his shoulder. One quivering breath, the second even shakier and finally Rex cracked, fingers digging into Tup's back as he wept helplessly. Tup didn't try to understand the rambling words muttered into his shoulder, his focus had to be on keeping Rex safe until he was feeling more capable of taking command again.

Twitching faintly at the slight touch on his shoulder, Tup looked up and smiled softly as Dogma curled in against Rex's back, offering his own support and comfort in these trying times. Rank didn't matter right now, all that mattered was being there for each other and making sure they all survived this place.  
'We're here, Rex, you're safe. You don't have to be strong now, we'll stay right here with you.' Dogma uttered, holding on as best he could. 'We've got you, now and always.'  
'That's it, let is all out. You've been holding this in for way too long.' Tup added, relieved that he had finally managed to get Rex to open his mental barriers just a little.

Tup honestly didn't know how long they'd been sitting there huddled together, he really didn't care how long it took. All that mattered was Rex's mental stability, everything else was secondary. It had taken a joint effort but Rex had finally given over to a peacefully sleep, body relaxed as he snored into Tup's neck. Each breath was a reassurance that they could survive this if they only worked together. Together they could achieve anything.  
'Go on, you head for bed. I'll tuck Rex in and be right with you.' Tup whispered, careful not to wake Rex as he nudged Dogma lightly.  
'You sure we should leave him?' Dogma muttered, lifting his head from Rex's back. 'He might wake up again if we leave him.'  
'No, he's deep under. He'll be alright now.' Tup smiled, waiting for Dogma to move before easing Rex down and covering him up. 'If he wakes, we'll be right here for him.'  
'Alright then.' Dogma agreed, limping towards their bed as Tup finished tucking the blankets around Rex and made sure he was comfortable.  
'Sleep well Rex. Force knows you've earned it.' Tup uttered, daring to press a caring kiss to Rex's forehead before leaving him to sleep.


	2. Brotherhood

Leaning back against the wall of the hut where they'd spent the night, Jesse frowned and tried to scratch under the edge of his hard cloth cast but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't ease the itching caused by this contraption. The white cloth wrapped around his arm from palm to shoulder, completely immobilising his right arm and he hated it. He could see the sense of it, the healers had spent a to of time trying to realign the shattered bone on his right arm before wrapping it up in this hardened material but that didn't make him hate it any less.

On the upside, the people had been kind enough to provide him with something to wear instead of his shredded bodysuit and mangled armour. He'd taken a real beating from the fallen stones, many of his armour plates were dented and warped beyond comfortable wear and his bodysuit was more holes than actual material so the new clothes were a big improvement.

Now he was dressed like one of the locals; a soft linen shirt that had been cut to allow it to fit over his cast and a skirt type thing that the people called kilts. At first Jesse hadn't been comfortable with the idea of these kilts but when he'd seen dozens of men running about in them, he accepted that this was part of life here. He'd needed help to get the kilt secured around his hips but now that he was wearing it, he was starting to understand why the locals liked them. On his feet he wore simple boots of soft leather with thicker leather on the base and a single cord that tied them on around his ankles.

Tearing his gaze away from the cloudless sky at the light touch on his left knee, Jesse looked down and smiled softly as he placed his uninjured hand on Hardcase's chest lightly. Dressed in similar garments, Hardcase seemed almost peaceful for a change as he wriggled closer and rested his head on Jesse's thigh.  
'How's the pain now?' Jesse asked, glancing around for the nearest healer.  
'No worse than that time I fell off my bunk, startled Kix and he kicked me in the knee.' Hardcase replied, the memory making them both smile.  
'Ah, you'll be fine.' Jesse chuckled, shifting against the wall. 'I hope Kix is okay. Don't feel right to be here without him.'  
'Kix is tough, he'll pull through.' Hardcase insisted, clasping Jesse's hand in his own. 'He's got to pull through.'  
'I guess we should be thankful he's alive. So many didn't survive.' Jesse nodded, squeezing Hardcase's hand lightly. 'It's such a waste.'  
'Why hasn't there been an evac yet? I haven't seen any other brothers or any of the usual transports since I was pulled out of the rubble.' Hardcase asked, pointing to the sky. 'I'd expect to have seen at least one or two gunships.'  
'Yeah, I've noticed that too.' Jesse agreed, untangling their hands and reaching for the pouch on his new belt. 'I figured the fighting was worse elsewhere and all personnel and materials have been sent there instead.'  
'But what if that's not the situation?' Hardcase sighed, accepting the painkilling leaf Jesse offered out. 'What if something else is going on?'  
'Like what?' Jesse shrugged, growling low in his throat when his cast dug into his shoulder. 'Why else would we still be here?'  
'Maybe we've been forgotten? You said it yourself; there were a lot of brothers lost for this place. What's to say that the Jedi didn't forget about us?' Hardcase suggested, chewing thoughtfully on the leaf. 'Any clone knows that the Jedi don't really care about us, no matter what they say.'  
'No way, Commander Tano would never just up and abandon us. You know she's close to Rex and Rex is still here so logically, the Jedi must be somewhere nearby.' Jesse replied, refusing to accept that they had been forgotten about.

~%~%~%~%~

Breathing shallow so he didn't upset his ribs too much, Boil settled on one of the benches arranged around the healer station and adjusted the sling taking the weight of his left arm. Once again he'd managed to snap his collarbone on that side, making this the third time he'd broken that same bone. With broken ribs on the same side, he was feeling miserable but at least the painkilling leaves were helping with that constant discomfort.

Watching the ongoing clean up efforts, Boil really was impressed by just how clever these people were. They had none of the technology that Boil knew was common elsewhere in the galaxy but they still managed to make it look easy as they moved the stones and lifted them up onto waiting carts. It really was incredible to watch them work.

Dressed in the local fashion, he didn't miss his armour as much as he thought he would. Boil had spent most of his life encased in that armour but now, he felt comfortable to go without it. There was something about this place that made him feel secure enough to go without armour or weaponry for the first time in his young life.  
'Thought I'd find you out here.' Waxer remarked, drawing Boil out of his contemplations.  
'I needed some fresh air. I get that the healers want the best for us but I don't think they understand how fast we heal.' Boil nodded, shuffling over on the bench.  
'And I'm guessing you're looking out for our evac while you're out here.' Waxer noted, sinking down beside him with a groan. 'It's nice to be mobile again but these braces are a pain.'  
'Spare a thought for Hardcase; he's got both legs in casts. At least you can get up and move about on your own terms.' Boil shrugged, tucking in against Waxer's side. 'But yeah, I was checking for our evac. Haven't seen a single gunship or medical transport come past all morning.'  
'Very funny, Boil.' Waxer sighed, squeezing him close for a moment.  
'I'm not kidding around, Waxer. Look around, the only brothers on the ground here are either wounded or dead. There are no gunships on the ground, no walkers, fighters or anything else that usually appears when the GAR sets down for a battle. There is nothing here to show the GAR even stepped foot on this planet, except for us.' Boil insisted, uninjured arm sweeping out to take in the vista before them.  
'So you think…what exactly?' Waxer coaxed, used to the way Boil internalised his thoughts and betrayed little of what was running around in his head.  
'I'm thinking there is only one explanation to all of this. I'm thinking that one answer makes sense, as much as I don't want to admit that meaning. I don't want to say anything in case I'm wrong but if I'm right, why us?' Boil shrugged, his left shoulder barely twitching with the motion.  
'You're making about as much sense as a Gungan, Boil. Speak clearly and tell me what is going on in your head.' Waxer sighed, reaching out to flick Boil between the eyes. 'c'mon, you've never had much trouble opening up to me before.'  
'I think the Jedi abandoned us.' Boil blurted out, eyes widening as his brain caught up with his mouth. 'Oh kriff.'  
'Oh kriff is about right.' Waxer agreed, stunned that Boil had come out and said that. 'Are you sure about this?'  
'No, but it's the only thing that makes any sense. If it's not that, then why haven't we seen any other brothers or GAR ships?' Boil sighed, once again indicated the view in front of them. 'Where is our support if I'm wrong?'  
'I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just wary of declaring it either way.' Waxer replied, resting their heads together. 'Have you asked the current senior officers?'  
'I figured Rex has enough on his plate right now. I didn't want to disturb him with my concerns while he's still trying to find out if anyone else survived. He's worried about those who are here and what's happening with the dead. I didn't feel right to burden him with my concerns as well.' Boil admitted, shaking his head slowly. 'And until Cody heals, it's all on Rex.'  
'You should still mention it to Rex. Like you said, he's in charge right now. He needs to know what you suspect so he can form some sort of plan.' Waxer guided, cuddling in against Boil's side and gazing out across the peaceful lands. 'When you do go, I'll be right with you.'  
'Thanks Waxer, but not right now. I just want to enjoy this right now.' Boil nodded, leaning into Waxer a little more and sighing softly.

~%~%~%~%~

Tearing his foggy gaze away from the ceiling above him, Cody gave a lop-sided grin to the figure approaching his soft nest and took another hit from the burner hanging beside his head. Giggling as his sluggish mind connected the hazy figure beside him with a name; Cody patted at the soft material around him and went back to staring at the ceiling.  
'Got you drugged up pretty good, haven't they?' Rex asked, sinking down to sit on the low stool beside Cody's bed.  
'Yeah but at least it don't hurt no more.' Cody slurred, fumbling for a few moments before managing to catch Rex's hand. 'Status?'  
'Fourteen known survivors, including us. All bearing the injuries of the fight and later burials. The locals are still searching but hope is fading of finding more alive in the rubble. I also asked for a team to be sent to the temple region where Fives and Echo were headed.' Rex briefed, squeezing Cody's hand firmly. 'But that's not the worst of it.'  
'The Jedi are gone, I know.' Cody nodded, taking another hit. 'Not an idiot, Rex. Buried for two days. Now this place and their strange healing skills. We got left behind, right?'  
'It certainly looks that way. I have gone over reports from the locals and thy all say similar. We're on our own here.' Rex confirmed, dropping his gaze and sighing softly. 'I suspect some of the men already know even though I have said nothing.'  
'Clones aren't stupid. They know something is wrong. Can't fool them.' Cody grinned, head rolling across his shoulders. 'You need to tell them. Rumours will spread if you don't get control.'

Nodding slowly, Rex shifted to sit on the floor and leant against the bed, guiding Cody's limp hand to his hair and trying to relax. Of course he knew he needed to say something about their abandonment to the men but he really didn't want to mention it. Morale was already low; the men were hurting and worried for their brothers still out there fighting. Adding this to their thoughts would only make things worse.  
'Relax vod. The men will adapt. They always do.' Cody muttered, lightly dragging his fingers through Rex's hair. 'They need to know.'  
'I know, I just don't want to be the one to break the news to them.' Rex agreed, eyes closing as he settled as close to Cody as he could get. 'But I'm the senior clone until you're back on your feet.'  
'You can do this. You command the 501st, you can control this.' Cody reassured him, digging his fingers in a little. 'I believe in you.'  
'I'm scared, Cody. What if I can't keep the men calm and under control?' Rex asked, leaning into the calming touch against his head.  
'The men are scared too, Rex. This place is so strange. They need guidance.' Cody replied, inhaling the smoke again and turning his head to look at Rex. 'Go, they need you.'  
'And I need a few minutes to sort out my thoughts.' Rex countered, shifting against the cot and chewing on a couple of fresh tarin leaves for the pain.  
'Alright then.' Cody allowed, relaxed and dozy as Rex curled one hand around his bicep and sighed softly. 'Take a break but the men must be told.'  
'I know and I will tell them. Just let me have five minutes to relax.' Rex sighed, squeezing Cody's arm for a moment. 'I still haven't accepted how close I came to death.'

~%~%~%~%~

'You okay, Jester?' Chopper asked, lifting his arm to make room for Jester to curl into his right side.  
'I am now. We're all here.' Jester nodded, clinging to Chopper even as he looked over towards the rest of their squad.  
'And we're not going anywhere.' Gus promised, shifting closer to Chopper and reaching out with his left hand to lightly enfold Jester's fingers in his own.  
'It's okay Jester, you'll never be left behind. We're a team and we stick together.' Sketch added, sinking down and curling in against Jester's right side.  
'Whatever happens, we'll always be right beside you.' Punch agreed, snuggling in against Sketch's side and reaching out to add his support.

Settled back against the sun warmed wall that ran around this healer compound, separating it from the rest of the land around without being obvious, the five men of Stalker Squad relaxed and reconnected as only they could. This latest adventure had reminded them all of just how vulnerable their squad was to being torn apart, the isolation and fear of never again seeing each other had hit them hard and now they were desperate to blur those horrid memories with better moments.

Punch had thought he'd been stuck in tight confines but after Jester had told them his story, Punch realised just how lucky he'd been. At least he'd been able to sit up and move a little bit, Jester had ended up in an even smaller gap, flat on his back staring up at a sharply angled stone that was just a deep breath away from puncturing through his armour. He'd spent two days terrified to even breath properly, terrified that the roof of his dark hole would collapse and kill him. It was no wonder that Jester was particularly clingy after such a fright.

Hearing Jester's story had shown just how lucky everyone else in the squad had been to come out with such minor injuries. Of course they had all heard about Kix and his severe injuries so they knew how easily it could have been them left so close to death. Luck had smiled on them, giving them this chance to hold tight to those they knew best of all.  
'Do you suppose the General will come to check in on us soon?' Gus asked, shifting his right hand against his chest. 'All respect to the healers but this thing is driving me crazy.'  
'Well, crazier.' Punch teased, snuggling closer to Sketch. 'Normally the General comes to check on the wounded as soon as the fighting is over.'  
'But it's been days since the fighting left this region. At least, that's what the locals are saying.' Chopper shrugged, resting his chin in Jester's hair. 'He should have been by now.'  
'Particularly with Cody in such bad shape. We all know how close those two are.' Sketch agreed, moving his treated broken leg out of Punch's way. 'Usually when he's hurt, the medics can't shift the General from the infirmary until he sees signs of improvement.'  
'Maybe the General isn't coming this time. Maybe he decided we were all lost causes and left us behind on purpose.' Jester suggested, tracing idle patterns across Chopper's chest.  
'Do you really think General Kenobi would just walk away from us? I know we haven't always been his favourite men but surely he wouldn't leave us behind like this.' Punch asked, doubt filtering into his tone. 'I always thought the General would make sure all the survivors made it off planet.'  
'That's usually Cody's job but since he's here it wasn't done.' Gus sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'I don't think we're getting out of here.'  
'Now isn't really the time to be considering this. We just survived a near death situation, let's just take a few hours to celebrate survival in our own way and then we can worry about what's going on.' Chopper suggested, stroking over Jester's shoulder. 'We can worry about the future tomorrow.'

~%~%~%~%~

Cursing their failed electronics and their rotten luck, Fives clung desperately to the rocks around him and strained against Echo's weight below him. They'd been attempting to find their way out of the stone maze they'd fallen into, only for the stone bridge to give out under their weight. Neither man had wanted to fall into the glowing yellow river beneath them so they hung on tight and hoped that rescue was coming soon.

Normally Fives would have little trouble climbing back up, even with Echo's full weight dangling off his belt but the rocks were slippery and smooth, leaving Fives with almost nothing to hold onto. He'd already tried to find another handhold further along the bridge but his searching fingers had found nothing to grab onto.  
'Well, this is a fine mess.' Echo remarked, shifting his grip a little.  
'Stay still down there! I can barely hold on as it is.' Fives growled, trying to mentally push away the tension building in his shoulders.  
'I have to move, my hands are starting to cramp.' Echo returned, relaxing his left hand.  
'Kriff, Echo, you'll kill our balance if you keep that up.' Fives warned, scrabbling at the slick surface and trying to secure Echo's position without dropping them both.  
'And if I don't, I'll slip off your belt.' Echo countered, returning his hand to Fives' belt.

Managing to get his legs locked around Echo's waist, Fives tried once more to find another handgrip to get them out of this precarious position but no matter where he reached, the stones were smooth and slick.  
'Fek! I can't get another grip anywhere on the bridge.' Fives groaned, reaching out again but he knew he couldn't do this forever.  
'I hear voices! This way, hurry!' another voice called, bringing hope of a rescue.  
'Hey! We're down here! Hurry, we can't hold on much longer!' Fives tried, tightening his grip on Echo when his hands slipped a little. 'Hurry! We're right here!'  
'What's going on up there?' Echo asked, lifting his gaze so his chin rested against Fives' abdomen.  
'I hear voices, not clones but someone is out there.' Fives offered, letting out a cry of shock as his grip slipped a little more. 'Hurry!'

Hearing the voices coming closer and starting to pick up on the rhythm of footsteps approaching their position, Fives strained to hold on and nodded faintly as Echo took up the call to draw attention to them. Head down to try and ease some of the strain in his shoulders, Fives swore as his grip slipped once more than swore again as hands grabbed his wrists and pulled back against their combined weight.  
'We will not let you fall, friends. Captain Rex sent me, my name is Larish.' one of the men guided, extending one hand down to Echo.  
'I'm Fives, he's Echo. We appreciate the help, Larish.' Fives replied, gritting his teeth against the pain building in his shoulders. 'Take Echo first, I can hang for a little longer with help.'  
'Reach out, I will not drop you.' Larish coaxed, stretching down to Echo. 'Your friends are worried about you, they will be glad to know you survived.'  
'It will be good to see our brothers again.' Echo nodded, working one hand loose from Fives' belt and reaching out to take the offered hand from above.  
'Whoa, careful with the dismount Echo. I'd rather not pull these good people over the edge.' Fives warned, scrambling for a better grip.  
'Fives?' Echo asked, reaching out to his brother as soon as he heard the pained groan passing his lips. 'What is it, vod?'  
'Tore a muscle in my shoulder. Can feel them straining to hold.' Fives grunted, lifting his gaze to the men above them. 'I can't pull up, I'll only make it worse.'  
'Hold him steady and help me up first. I can pull him to safety without risk.' Echo insisted, looking up and trying to find his own way out of this mess.  
'The wounded must take preference.' another voice called, putting an end to Echo's plans.

Lip curling in anger as their supposed rescuers wasted time talking and trying to figure out the best way to haul Fives up to safety, Echo dug his fingers into the arms supporting him and coiled his muscles in readiness. Shaking off one supporter, he swung up and grabbed the rocky ledge, anger fuelling his motions to clamber up onto the rock ledge and turn to Fives.  
'I've got you vod, I've got you.' Echo soothed, nudging the useless rescuers back and dropping to his stomach at the end of the ledge. 'I won't let you fall vod.'  
'What now?' Fives asked, looking up at Echo from his awkward perch. 'I can't hang on much longer. As is, I've done a lot of damage.'  
'Can you grab my armour?' Echo smiled, shuffling forward a little and reaching down to lock his fingers under Fives' backplate.  
'I think so.' Fives nodded, working one hand out from under Echo and cramming his fingers up under Echo's pauldron and under his backplate.  
'That's it, grab hold of me and don't let go. I've got you vod.' Echo coaxed, kicking one of the locals off his legs and getting his free hand latched around Fives' belt again.  
'What's the plan?' Fives asked, working his left hand into the back of Echo's armour as well.  
'You just hold tight and do not let go. Leave it to me, vod.' Echo replied, making sure he had a firm grip on his brother. 'Anyone behind me, get out of the way!'

Resting their heads together, Echo started to shuffle backwards along the rough stone, dragging Fives along with him. Talking softly to keep Fives calm, Echo continued wriggling backwards, snarling whenever someone got in the way of his rhythm.  
'You still with me, vod?' Echo asked, kicking out again and inching back a little more.  
'Yeah, I'm still here.' Fives uttered, rocking a little to help release his armour from the rough rocks.  
'Rest a moment, we're almost done.' Echo guided, sitting up on his elbows and looking back over his shoulder. 'Now, where is the nearest medic?'  
'I am healer Tarish.' an older man replied, making his way forward.  
'I said medic, not healer. Where is the nearest clone medic?' Echo tried, pushing down on his irritation. 'Take it easy, vod.'  
'I think I can make it from here.' Fives replied, kicking and managing to drag his lower body up onto the bridge. 'Oww.'  
'You people have left our planet. We have pulled a few survivors from the rubble but only a few compared to the many that fought on our lands three moons ago.' Larish explained, stepping forward and taking a knee beside the two clones. 'Our runners indicate that there are ten six survivors. If any are healers, we do not know.'  
'Ten six…sixteen. Sixteen survivors out of two full companies.' Echo sighed, helping Fives to sit up slowly. 'Come on, we should get out of here.'  
'Armour first. I can feel the swelling starting to press.' Fives insisted, looking up at the men around them. 'You mean to say we've been walking around down here for three days?'  
'Almost four. It will take us another few hours to get out of these catacombs.' Tarish nodded, digging into one of his belt pouches. 'Chew on this, it will help with your pain. The others we have pulled out alive have been using it as well.'  
'Thank you.' Fives replied, accepting the leaves and trying not to flinch at the bitter taste.

~%~%~%~%~

Gathering his courage as his injured brothers gathered per his request, the words carefully chosen to hopefully make it seem like less of an order, Rex shuffled his feet and watched as they settled around Hardcase and Jesse, all eyes turning to Rex as he leant back against the wall. Looking across his wounded brothers, cataloguing the damage done and trying to work out who was available for a brief mission, Rex sighed and pushed off the wall as the last of his brothers found comfortable spots and relaxed.

Cursing his weakness mentally, Rex cleared his throat and again looked across the trusting faces of his men, abandoned on this rock and now forced to survive by their own wits and perseverance. Now it was on them to show they could handle this but looking around, Rex wasn't sure if they were in any fit state for this.  
'My brothers, you are smart men, survivors of many battles and each of you with his own tales to tell of close calls and near misses. I have no doubt that some of you have already come up with scenarios that explain our current situation.' Rex sighed, running one hand through his hair to help him calm his thoughts. 'The truth of the matter is this. The Republic has withdrawn from this planet, abandoning us to our fate here.'  
'I knew it!' Hardcase growled, getting up onto his elbows. 'I knew they'd abandoned us!'  
'See, I told you it meant something.' Boil added, turning to look at Waxer. 'I was right all along.'  
'Hardcase? You mean to tell me that you worked it out?' Rex asked, stunned by the outburst from his excitable brother.  
'You're not exactly known for thinking deep. You tend to cause carnage first then ask later.' Tup added, looking over to Hardcase with a smile.  
'I am impressed, Hardcase. I expected Dogma to figure it out, even Boil but I honestly thought you would be so heavily drugged that you wouldn't realise what was going on.' Rex chuckled, picking his way through the group to kneel beside Hardcase. 'now it falls to us to decide what we will do next. There are transports crashed nearby that might still have working beacons on them. Or do we focus on adapting to life here and forget about trying to return? By now, we have all been listed on the death tally from this fight; it would upset our brothers to know we survived after they mourned our losses.'  
'We should still try and get the beacons going. The fleet might not be far away; they could come and get us quickly.' Gus nodded, welcoming Jester in against his side. 'We have to try and return to our brothers, they are all we have.'  
'And what if the Jedi have already left this sector? We have no way of knowing where they are or even if we can get those emergency beacons going.' Waxer countered, shaking his head slowly. 'We can't even be sure if whatever fragged the electronics in our buckets didn't do the same to those transports out there.'  
'So what are you suggesting we do? Sit around and do nothing on the off chance the Jedi are still close? We could all be dead by the time they get back out this far.' Tup spat, startling everyone with his harsh words. 'Face it, we mean less to the Jedi than the dust on their boots. We're expendable and insignificant to them. Sure, some might take the time to learn our names but we are still just faces in a crowd. They don't care.'  
'Now that's not true Tup, you know Commander Tano cares about us.' Rex replied, not quite sure where this outburst had come from but he needed to try and calm it down.  
'Osik! When I needed support and help, she raced off to cover your shebs and left me stuck under that larty wing! You had solid cover, I had nothing and as you recall, Coric and Denal were both wounded trying to get me out!' Tup shot back, his anger rising sharply. 'They're all the same and deep down, you know it! At least here we have a chance to be free of their demanding presence. For the first time, we can say no and don't have to fear being punished!'  
'Tup's got a point there. We owe these people for saving our lives. They see us as valuable and worth protecting; the Jedi abandoned us without even checking if anyone was still alive. I say to Haran with the Jetiise! We have a better life here, these people care enough to bury our brothers and treat our wounds. The Jetiise merely leave the dead behind to rot in their armour where anyone could see it.' Jesse agreed; the anger around the group almost palatable now.  
'Now wait a minute! We still have a duty to fulfil! We are still members of the GAR and as such…' Rex started but he was interrupted rather quickly.  
'Saleucami!' Hardcase barked, silencing the group as he stared at Rex. 'You remember what that girl said on Saleucami? You look like my daddy.'

Freezing as memories of Cut Lawquane came back to the front of his mind, Rex bowed his head and sighed, knowing full well that Hardcase had just backed him into a corner and now everyone here would start asking him about Saleucami.  
'That was a different time Hardcase and a different situation. Cut Lawquane already had roots there; he had a wife and kids that needed him. It would have been cruel to tear him away from them just so he could face a firing squad for desertion.' Rex nodded, looking around at the men.  
'So why the Haran can't we do the same? The Jetiise can kiss my shebs.' Sketch growled, taking up the cry for freedom for them all. 'I'll not go back to being under Kenobi's thumb. I'd rather ash'amur than live like that again.'  
'Yeah, we ain't going back! We're free and safe here, no more watching out brothers die in a war that makes no sense and earns us nothing!' Waxer agreed, thumping the table beside him with one hand. 'Our lives mean something and this mess just goes to prove how little the Jetiise care!'

Getting to his feet, Rex moved out of the group and took a moment to calm his own anger before turning back to them in full officer mode. He was trying to make this situation seem less militant and more relaxed but he was losing control and needed to reassert his position. Arguing wasn't going to solve their problems, they needed a solid plan.  
'Enough! All of you!' Rex snapped, squaring his shoulders and staring down at them.  
'Well that didn't last long.' Hardcase muttered, sinking back down and shifting against Jesse's thigh for a moment. 'We're back to rank and file.'  
'No Hardcase, I just need you to listen.' Rex sighed, looking around at the men. 'I'm not saying I disagree with what you're all saying. I do believe that we get a raw deal from the Jetiise, they keep expecting more from us and have forgotten that we are just children forced to grow up too soon. I agree that we have a better life here, but that is not an excuse to completely abandon our brothers still fighting. We have to find our own balance, fulfilling or duties to call for a rescue even as we try to integrate into this society.'  
'How do you propose we do that?' Chopper asked, looking up slowly.  
'We still activate the beacons on those transports but we find a way to strangle the power so the signal can barely leave the atmosphere. Nothing obvious, we need to be subtle with this.' Rex grinned, his devious nature starting to show.  
'I doubt we'll need to do much, this planet did something to our buckets and weaponry, I'm guessing it did the same thing to the transports.' Waxer smirked, relaxing a little as he considered the implications of this plan.  
'So while we wait for rescue, we can adjust to this slower life and make new homes here. We can finally explore so many of the things everyone else takes for granted.' Rex smiled, adjusting his loose shirt and rolling his shoulders. 'Now is our time to shine.'


	3. Acceptance

Eyes widening as he looked towards what he'd heard Tarish call the healer station, Fives could see some of their brothers moving about in the cool shade, each one wearing garments much the same as the locals that he could also see.  
'Now do you see? Your tribesmen are safe under the watch of healer Tralin. Ten six reunited at last.' Tarish nodded, pointing to the building at the heart of the low walled compound. 'They will be glad to see you have survived. So many perished for our world, I can hear the grieving calls again.'  
'Oh, those are grieving calls? I was wondering what the noise was.' Echo grinned, relaxing more now that he understood a little about these simple people.  
'The tribes are paying their respects to your tribesmen, the ones who gave their lives for our world. The grieving calls sound out as a tribute to those the tribes place within the embrace of our creating mother.' Larish explained, indicating the ground beneath them as he spoke of the creating mother.  
'You are giving our tribesmen a proper burial?' Fives asked, turning to the older men behind him.  
'Of course, it is the least the tribes can do to honour the sacrifices made.' Larish nodded, confusion crossing his face for a moment. 'Should we pass the word to stop the grieving ceremonies?'  
'No, allow the ceremonies to continue. Our tribesmen are not usually afforded such respect; our dead are so often left to lay where they fell in combat.' Fives replied, humbled by what he was hearing from these two men.

Shuffling over to the edge of the cart, Fives twisted and dropped off the side, hissing as a fresh tingle of pain wove its way across his shoulders. The healing poultice Tarish had applied to his back and shoulders helped somewhat but it still ached every time he tried to move his arms in any direction. At least he didn't need to carry his armour, Larish had arranged a net bag of sorts to hold all the removed pieces. Fives could see two of their rescuers carrying the bag towards the healer station as Echo dismounted from the cart. It was actually nice to not have to wear it even though he was technically still on a mission.

Glancing at Fives as they passed the low stone wall, Echo was almost certain he felt something change in the air as they continued towards the simple stone hut at the centre of the compound.  
'Echo! Fives!' Tup called, waving to them from where he was sitting near the hut.  
'Tup, what are you…' Rex added, appearing at the corner of the building and freezing. 'Oh kriff.'  
'What do you mean, oh kriff? We're alive and finally made it back.' Echo grinned, looking at Fives for a second. 'A little battered and bruised but alive.'  
'I was just getting my head around ten four having survived this mess, not ten six.' Rex shrugged, his choice of words surprising the two ARC troopers.  
'You not getting too attached to these people, are you Rex?' Fives asked, shaking his head slowly and flinching when that upset his strained back as well. 'You know as well as anyone that we're not staying here.'  
'Actually Fives, we are staying here. The Jetiise are gone, I've dispatched a team to the nearest downed transports to get an emergency beacon going but I doubt that beacon will get beyond the atmosphere. We're on our own here and the general consensus is that we stay put and set down roots here.' Rex countered, gaze sweeping the healer compound. 'This is home now, as strange as it is to us.'  
'But the regulations state…'  
'Don't even start with regulations, Echo. Technically, you're going against regulations by not wearing full armour on a potentially hostile world.' Rex warned, turning his gaze to Echo. 'Regs don't save lives in these situations. You need to adapt and accept.'  
'Adapt and accept? What does that even mean?' Fives asked, stunned when Rex turned and walked away before he'd finished speaking.  
'It means lose the tattered bodysuits, grab some civilian clothes from inside and relax.' Gus replied, wandering towards them with a grin on his face. 'We can't do much with so many guys still in casts or otherwise injured but we're working on a plan.'

~%~%~%~%~

Looking up when someone touched his shoulder, Rex somehow found a smile as he recognised Ari standing just behind him. Straightening up, Rex wiped his eyes and shifted on the wall, grateful that none of his men had caught him sitting along as the tears fell silently.  
'I did not mean to intrude on your grief, Rex.' Ari offered, shifting to sit beside Rex. 'My father sent me to ask if your tribesmen wish to partake in the grieving ceremonies.'  
'We would not know what to do. Our tribesmen rarely receive the honour of a proper burial, they are always left where they fell.' Rex admitted, scrubbing at his cheeks again.  
'You do not need to do anything more than be present and lead the grief. Allow the many tribes of my world to share in your pain instead of risking the wrath of the spirits by proceeding without your presence.' Ari explained, taking the chance and slipping one arm around Rex's back. 'You will not have to say anything, just be there as we honour another group that gave their lives for us.'  
'Alright, I will gather a few men and we will attend these grieving ceremonies.' Rex nodded, sagging into Ari a little. 'So many were lost for your world. How can your people expect to bury so many while your homes are still in ruins?'  
'The great city is not our home, merely our trading centre. Our homes are our in the wilds of this planet, far from the stone buildings.' Ari replied, getting up and drawing Rex up with him. 'As for how we can hope to return so many to the caring mother, I will show your men when they are ready. But we must hurry, another grieving ceremony will start soon.'

Thinking on his feet, Rex called for Jesse, Tup, Boil and Gus to join him as he walked through the compound with Ari. Abandoning what they were doing, the chosen quartet hurried to join Rex, falling in around him like they would normally do when called to action.  
'What's going on, Rex?' Jesse asked, adjusting the soft cloth that kept his cast arm from flapping around much.  
'Ari has requested that we join the mourners at the grieving ceremonies.' Rex replied, indicating the man beside him. 'Not sure what to expect but it's nice to know our tribesmen are being given a proper farewell.'  
'These people are burying our tribesmen? That never happens.' Boil noted, shocked by what was being given so freely.  
'Usually they just stay where they are killed, forgotten by everyone.' Tup nodded, swapping amazed looks with Jesse.  
'No man deserves such dishonour in his final moments. Your tribesmen will be shown proper respect here, each one will receive a personal embrace from the caring mother and be spoken of for many generations to come.' Ari promised, guiding the small group to the waiting cart just beyond the stone walls and helping the five men up onto the flat bed.

Getting comfortable on the compacted bundles of grass that had been piled on the cart, Rex tucked Tup in close as Ari got the beasts attached to the cart moving, guiding them towards the low hills beyond the healer station.  
'Listen, you can hear the grieving calls ring as the gathering prepares to farewell the next row of brave warriors.' Ari guided, bowing his head as a haunting call echoed around the hills.  
'Find peace, my brothers.' Rex whispered, bowing his head and listening as his brothers offered up their own brief prayers for the fallen.

Looking around at this peaceful landscape as the cart moved towards the hills and then between the low rises, the five clones were suddenly faced with the realities of what these people had undertaken on behalf to the remaining clone tribesmen on their world. Row after row of battle worn and damaged helmets sat upon piles of dirt, each pile marking the final resting place for another lost clone. There were so many of them, blue and orange marked helmets stretching out into the distance in every direction.

Stopping the cart among several others, Ari jumped down and reached out to help the fives clones down off the cart. The clones didn't really need the help but they could see that it helped the natives to understand that they had given up more than the lives of their tribesmen for this planet.  
'This way, the next ceremony is about to begin.' Ari uttered, leading the quintet towards a larger gathering of people.  
'Anything we should know?' Boil asked, adjusting his sling as they walked.  
'You will be given the place of honour but there is little you need do. Without an understanding of the tribal languages, you cannot hope to follow what is being said by our spiritual leaders.' Ari replied, lifting his head and rattling off something that the clones could only guess was his natural language.

Instantly the crowd parted, allowing the five stunned clones to pass and see what was prepared before them. Twelve holes in a perfect line, each one containing a fabric wrapped body topped with a useless weapon. Twelve blue marked helmets sitting on smaller mounds at the head of each grave, blank visors staring out across the burial grounds.  
'The leaders know little of your tribesmen but they understand some things. All those who wore blue markings will be buried here. Those marked in orange have been given that field there.' Ari explained, pointing to the second field and the rows of orange helmets. 'We have many of our spiritual leaders running the grieving ceremonies in both fields.'  
'I belong among the ones marked in orange. I should be with them.' Boil nodded, glancing at Gus and sighing softly. 'We both should be.'  
'Ashri can take you to them. She knows the ceremonies, she can guide you through the rituals.' Ari replied, indicating a young woman standing behind them before switching back into his native tongue. 'There are many spiritual leaders over there, find where you feel most comfortable.'  
'Your brothers deserve this last respect. Be with them, honour them and know that they will never be forgotten.' Rex added, turning his teary gaze to them. 'Grieve for them, they are all our brothers. Spread out, vod, we need to be there for as many as we can as they are returned to the embrace of the caring mother.'

Watching his brothers leave the area with people that Ari had indicated, Rex approached the line of helmets as he heard the wavering echoes of the grieving calls rise up into the air again. Taking a knee behind the first helmet in the line, Rex bowed his head as the crowd started to chant and reached out to carefully lift the helmet. Turning the helmet around, Rex gazed at the markings on it and let the tears fall as he recognised the design.  
'Snipe, you were always one of the best and the bravest.' Rex uttered, thumb rubbing over the crosshairs design on the forehead of the helmet.

Moving slowly along the line, wrapped up in the chanting and soft weeping all around him, Rex paused by each helmet and lifted it to his face, fresh tears rolling over the worn paintwork as he remembered the brothers he knew belonged with each unique design. This was something he'd insisted upon, even the shinys had a little blue paint on their helmets so Rex could always identify his men.

Reaching the end of the line, Rex lifted the last helmet and gasped softly, breath catching in his throat as he gazed at the rough way the four pieces had been connected so the locals had a helmet to mark this grave.  
'Rounder…no, it can't be. You were meant to be on the ship, you were still recovering from our last battle. You should have been safe this time. This was meant to be your downtime.' Rex uttered, gazing down at the flowing curves and spiralled blue paint covering the helmet in his hands. 'I'm sorry, vod, you deserved so much better than this.'

Setting down the helmet carefully and making sure the supporting frame was still properly bracing the shattered helmet, Rex reached for the little metal tag he'd been wearing since he left Kamino. Slipping the chain over his head, he gazed at the numbers etched into the surface and shuffled back to kneel beside the open grave and the cloth wrapped bundle inside.  
'I'll miss our talks Rounder, you were the only one who truly understood what I was dealing with. You were always there when I needed someone, you were my shelter and my rock. You were everything to me and I never told you how much that support meant to me, vod. I'll never forget you, your jokes, your laugh, your tears, your quirks and habits. You were the only one who really understood me, you were always there when I needed a shoulder to lean on and there when I needed someone to help me pick up the pieces. I'll miss you so much Rounder, you were the only one who knew just what I needed, no matter the situation. I know I'll never be able to replace what we shared, I won't even try.' Rex uttered, struggling to speak past the lump growing in his throat as his tears fell thick and fast. 'I'm sorry I couldn't protect you like you protected me, Rounder.'

Kissing the tags held in his hands, Rex bent down over the grave and slipped the chain around the swaddled form of his dearest brother, arranging the tags to sit neatly on Rounder's covered chest. Rex tried not to touch the body too much, the slightest touch had already revealed the extent of the damage hidden beneath the patterned cloth wrapped around his brother and he didn't want to know any more than that.  
'I was not there in your final moments, I should have been but now I have a chance to live a free life and I owe that chance to you and your sacrifice. I will live in your honour and your memory, I will carry you proudly through life and keep your sprit in every way I can. You will always be my dearest brother, loved above all others.' Rex promised, glancing along the line of graves and watching the locals throwing handfuls of dirt onto the bodies. 'Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. Ret'urcye mhi Rounder.'

Pushing back to his knees, Rex reached out to the dirt pile beside him and took up a double handful, cupping the cool soil in his bare hands. Bending over again, he tenderly placed it over his tags and went back for more soil. It felt right to do this, his hands blindly shaping the dirt into a raised spiral over Rounder's chest as the crowd came closer. Without really thinking about it, Rex started to chant softly, the Mando'a words of grief rolling over him and rising steadily as he continued to form the spiral right across Rounder's chest. Spacing out the lines of dirt, he left the sides open where the spiral naturally fell off Rounder's chest. Each line was carefully formed, loving hands smoothing out the dirt and shaping the graceful curves.

Sitting back again, Rex gazed down at the spiral over the swaddled figure of his treasured Rounder and smiled through his tears. Somehow he knew Rounder would appreciate the effort Rex had gone to in order to create this temporary tribute to him.  
'You knew this tribesman well?' Ari asked, taking a knee beside Rex and resting one hand on his shoulder even as he trickled a handful of soil into Rounder's grave.  
'He was very important to me, the closest of all my tribesmen.' Rex nodded, gazing down at the wrapped figure of his brother. 'Together we led the blued clan of my tribesmen.'  
'Then his is truly a great loss.' Ari agreed, allowing another fistful of soil to trickle through his fingers as he looked up and chattered away.

Suddenly an older man knelt down beside the grave and removed an ornate dagger from his belt. Looking at Rex, the older man bowed his head and offered out the blade with both hands.  
'He offers his dagger for the dead. Place your hands over his and nod, he will understand.' Ari whispered, trying not to disturb the silence that had fallen over the area.  
'What is going on?' Rex asked quietly, reaching out to rest his hands over the dagger and nodding slowly to the older man.  
'Tribal Elder Zarindal is offering tribute to a fallen leader. He questioned why this grave was so important to you, I explained that a tribal second had died and now he gifts his dagger to the fallen. It is the way of my people, a final honour to a fellow leader.' Ari explained, his voice low and respectful. 'Other leaders will come and offer their own tribute. Repeat as you have with Elder Zarindal and no one will take offence.'  
'Very well.' Rex agreed, not sure he fully understood but he could not risk insulting these people.

~%~%~%~%~

Groaning softly as he was gently set down in a shady place outside the healer hut, Cody settled back against his pillows and eased his discomfort with another drag on the wasri burner beside him. It was nice to finally be outside again, he was sick and tired of staring at those same four walls and ceiling that had been his home.  
'Cody?' Jester asked, hobbling towards him slowly. 'How are you feeling?'  
'I'll live, Jester. Be another couple days before the healers take these little suckers out and patch me up again.' Cody shrugged, adjusting the wrappings that were protecting the open wound in his abdomen and the little creatures inside.  
'Little suckers?' Sketch asked, making his way over and settling on the bench near Cody's stretcher.  
'Some kind of local insect, about as long as your little finger but with some seriously useful abilities. These little critters seal up bleeding wounds, suck up the excess blood and inject it back into the body after cleaning away any infections in the blood.' Cody explained, padding at the blanket wrapped over him. 'The healers doubt I would have survived without these little creatures.'  
'I'm not sure if I should be grateful or disturbed by that one.' Jester remarked, sinking down to sit beside Cody. 'We've been so worried about you.'  
'What's the situation? I already know we've been abandoned, figured that out during a lucid moment.' Cody asked, reaching out to clasp Jester's hand in his. 'Who else is here? What's our current plan?'  
'Right at the moment, the plan is simple. Rex sent Chopper and Punch out to the nearest crashed transports to try and get the emergency beacons going on at least a couple of them. While we wait for the Jetiise to show up, the plan is to fully integrate into the local community and then tell the jetties where they can stick their plans to drag us back.' Sketch explained, easing off the bench to settle on Cody's other side. 'No one wants to leave this place.'  
'I don't really want to leave either. This is a special chance for us, a chance to relax and learn all the things our training never covered.' Cody agreed, relaxing back into his pillows a little more and looking up at his brothers. 'Who else was abandoned?'  
'From the 212th…Boil and Waxer, our squad and you.' Jester replied, squeezing Cody's hand lightly as he listed the forgotten.  
'And from the 501st…Rex, Hardcase, Jesse, Kix, Tup, Dogma, Fives and Echo.' Sketch added, hanging his head sadly. 'I don't know how many were killed. I know the locals are burying them somewhere nearby, Rex took Tup, Jesse, Boil and Gus with him to attend some of the grieving ceremonies being held for our brothers.'

Nodding slowly as he considered what had been said, Cody really couldn't think of any changes he would make to the team left behind, even if he could send some of the men back to the cruisers and have others sent down in their places. Lowering his gaze, Cody could feel the tension in Jester and squeezed his hand, trying to offer comfort and support but Jester only tensed further.  
'You seem troubled by all this, Jester. What pains you so much?' Cody tried, deeply concerned for Jester's mental state.  
'What gives us the right to choose to stay when so many of our brothers don't have that option? They have no freedom, why are we the lucky ones? They should be here with us.' Jester sighed, looking down at their joined hands. 'Why us and not them?'  
'It was all pure chance. It was chance I survived being buried and the other men around me were killed. Its chance that you're here and not someone else. Everything that led to this moment has been pure chance and luck.' Cody replied, tugging gently on Jester's hand. 'Come here, vod'ika.'  
'But…' Jester started, turning around but he didn't move any closer.  
'My chest is fine, it's just my abdomen you need to be careful of.' Cody smiled, tugging on his hand again. 'Come here vod'ika.'

Smiling softly as Jester nodded and snuggled close to his left side, Cody tugged Sketch closer to his right side and sighed in contentment as his younger brothers wrapped their arms over his chest. Wrapping his arms around them, Cody hugged them both close and closed his eyes, reassured by their steady presence. So long as he had his brothers, he could survive this world and all that it threw his way.  
'Rest now, vod'ika. I've got you and I'll never let you go.' Cody promised, cursing the cast wrapped around his left arm but he made the best of the situation.  
'I'm scared, Cody.' Jester uttered, shuffling a little bit closer.  
'So am I, Jester. Training never covered this.' Cody replied, turning his head to rest his chin against Jester's forehead. 'But we'll be okay, we're an adaptable group.'  
'That we are, ori'vod.' Sketch agreed, snuggling closer and reaching out to take Jester's hand where it rested on Cody's chest. 'We can survive this.'


	4. Settling

_It's been one full moon cycle since the Jetiise abandoned us to this world and I can hardly believe the changes in all of us. To look at us now, no one would know that we were never born to this lifestyle. What remains of our past lives has been bundled and now kept in the cellar beneath our clan hall. It feels good to finally have a proper home, a gift from the many tribes of this planet to welcome us properly into their lives and world._  
  
 _It does my heart good to see all my surviving tribesmen up and about, even if some are still favouring certain wounds. Hardcase is back to his usual ways, he has been almost impossible to keep up with since his casts came off. Kix is back with us too, still bearing the last few bruises from his fight to survive but now he thrives here. Cody is still taking it slowly, cautious of causing further damage to his abdomen but I do not mind picking up his slack. Not in this situation._  
  
 _We have kept some structure from our past lives, Cody and I share leadership of the newest clan to rise up among these kindly people. I still don't fully understand the difference between clans and tribes but Ari keeps reassuring me that I will soon come to terms with this place and all the intricacies of living here. I can only hope it gets easier, so far I still must rely on Ari to ensure I make no mistakes and cause no offence._  
  
 _My tribesmen have all started taking lessons with the locals, learning how to survive in this peaceful society. At first the few elders and others that speak galactic standard took the time out of their own busy days to sit and teach us the main trading language of the planet and the various tribal languages that fill the air away from the trading cities. Cody and I sat together and created our own dialect of the language, altering the tones and crafting our own words that suited us. We picked the changes carefully, trialling our dialect with the elders to ensure that it wasn't too far removed from the original to prevent any communication between our tribes._  
  
 _In between classes to learn the language and the rituals of these people, we are spreading out and diversifying our skills. No longer soldiers, we have to turn our scarred and calloused hands to new pursuits and that has proven to be the hardest challenge so far. We know so little of civilian life, most of our skills do not translate across into this new life but we are determined. This beautiful planet will be our home._  
  
 _We have our new tribal lands at last, carved out of the lands used by five other tribes but it is a perfect home for us. Our new tribal home is angled so that we can see the burial fields below us, carved wooden huts protecting the helmets of our deceased. We are not close enough to impede upon the holy ground where our tribesmen now rest in the embrace of the caring mother but we can see them and that brings us so much comfort._

  
~%~%~%~%~  
  
Carefully wiping the excess ink from the eale feather quill he had taken to using, Rex closed the basri tree pages of his personal journal and folded the dera skin cover over the thin wooden pages. Tying off the matching throngs attached front and back, Rex sealed his ink pot and tucked his quill through the ties of his journal.  
  
Releasing the tension he'd pulled into his kilt while he was writing, Rex stood and tucked his inkpot and journal into his shoulder pack, making sure that his bone pot couldn't spill again. Getting to his feet, he brushed the dirt off his kilt and looked across his new home, a contented smile touching his lips.  
'We did good, Rex. We did real good here.' Cody grinned, coming up beside him and looking across their tribal lands.  
'Yeah, we finally got what all clones want.' Rex agreed, pushing his hair out of his eyes. 'A real home and a chance for freedom.'  
'Oh, before I forget.' Cody added, reaching into his shoulder pouch and pulling out a strip of cloth. 'One of the Elders asked if I would pass this on. Her daughter made it for you.'  
'I think I can guess who that was.' Rex nodded, taking the cloth and unrolling it with a soft smile.  
  
As long as his arm, the strip of cloth had been turned and hemmed with a master's hand, the patterns carefully selected to match up with the Naak tartaine that they had worked so hard to create. Black and white in the minority, a remembrance of their armour and their tribesmen still out fighting. Blue and orange covered the majority of the pattern, reflecting the two teams that had come together to create this new clan.  
  
Tipping his head back and shaking his hair out, Rex placed the middle of the strip against his forehead and twisted the tails together to secure the first pass. Bringing the tails around and swapping them in his hands, he twisted them again and made another pass to the back before tying them off with a neat bow.  
'That's a good look, Rex. Can't deny you're a Naak tribesman with that wrapped around your head.' Cody chuckled, elbowing Rex gently in the ribs. 'Might have to look at getting matching bands for everyone else.'  
'Well, if you want to go to Ashira and ask her, go right ahead.' Rex shrugged, casting his gaze back across their tribal lands. 'Everyone settling in okay?'  
'Yeah, everyone's doing just fine. A few squabbles about various things but we're almost settled into tribal life now.' Cody nodded, adjusting the ornate dagger at his waist. 'Oh, and I think I finally understand why we are considered a tribe and a clan while others identify by clan or tribe.'  
'Go on, you try and explain it to me then. I still don't get it.' Rex sighed, shifting one of his baldrics to reposition the crossed swords on his back.  
'It's simple really. Think of it like this; the tribe is the GAR. Different people from different backgrounds working together for mutual benefit. The clan is the 501st, forgetting about the Jetiise. You are born into the clan but your tribe can change.' Cody explained, trying to put words to the connections his mind had made without thought.  
'Born into the clan but the tribe can change…I would have put it the other way around then. It was luck that landed me with command of the 501st but I was always going to be a part of the GAR.' Rex sighed, no less confused for Cody's explanation.  
'But the 501st had their loyalties to you primarily. That is what it means to be a clan leader.' Cody tried, running one hand through his hair.  
'Loyal to me so long as I played a good little soldier and never stepped out of line.' Rex scoffed, recalling how Appo used to glare at him when the Sergeant thought he wasn't looking.  
'You are born unto your clan name but your tribe name is simply a location. Your tribe name changes when you leave your lands and move to make your life on the lands of another tribe. But your clan name will never change; you will carry that with you until your mortal remains are returned to the embrace of the caring mother.' Cody recited the words of Elder Ralir that had been ringing in his mind.  
  
Stopping mid step, Rex looked at Cody with a contemplative gleam in his eyes and nodded slowly, the understanding finally dawning on him. It really was simple; he was just thinking about it too much and missed the obvious that was right in front of him.  
'Over thinking things again, hey?' Cody smirked, nudging Rex to get him moving again.  
'Oh shut up.' Rex grumbled, stunned to have missed such an obvious fact.  
'Elder Cody! Elder Rex!' Ari called, jogging towards them with a smile on his face.  
'That's going to take some getting used to.' Cody sighed, shaking his head slowly.  
'What's going on Ari?' Rex asked, stepping forward to greet the young man.  
'The great Tribal Council is gathering and requests your presence.' Ari replied, bowing his head respectfully as he came to a stop in front of the pair. 'They wish to discuss the welcoming ceremony scheduled for tonight.'  
'Of course, lead the way.' Cody nodded, tucking his shoulder pack close and following Ari back towards the old stone city.  
  
~%~%~%~%~  
  
Giving over to the traditions of the spiritual leaders of this world, Tup stepped into the centre of the sacred tent that had been erected not far from the old stone city and sunk to his knees. Listening to the chanting of the fifteen men that were moving around him, he relaxed and let his shoulder droop as he placed his future in their hands. This was the moment that it would become clear if he was ready to become the spiritual leader of the new Naak clan.  
  
Breathing in the sweet smoke from the sacred Pulaloe tree, Tup closed his eyes and listened as the chanting started to become indistinct and he could feel his mind start to drift. Relaxing into the swirling noise and rhythm in his head, Tup's breathing slowed down and his body slumped, still up on his knees but totally loose and peaceful.  
  
Inner eyes blinking open, Tup looked around at the blank nothingness about him and slowly eased to his feet, turning around slowly to try and find any sort of landmark in this strange new place. He had already successfully managed several spirit walks before and communed with the caring mother but this, this was something totally different. This was a blank canvas for him to seek out his own path, instead of trying to find someone else and their purpose.  
  
Turning again, Tup saw the pack of wolde approaching him cautiously, two large males leading the pack towards him. But just as the pack seemed about to get within reaching distance, they turned and ran off. Not pausing to think, Tup turned and raced after them, bounding effortlessly along with the same easy grace as the wolde pack around him. Powerful hunters, Tup had witnessed a wolde pack much like this one chase down several dera and drag them to the ground. Tup had even seen a wounded male up close and run his fingers through its coarse grey and white fur before calmly ending the suffering for the poor beast.  
  
As he ran, Tup noticed that his sense of smell was improving; he could start to distinguish between the members of the pack by their scent alone. His hearing sharpened too, boosting his already augmented ears into a range he had never known existed. Turning sharply on his right foot, he broke form the pack and sprinted; teeth bared as he scented the dera and chased it through the forest that sprang up around him.  
  
Running hard, barely even noticing the world flashing past him, Tup launched off a bounder and slammed into the dera, knocking it to the ground. Pinning the creature, Tup calmly slit its throat and sat back on his haunches, howling out for his pack brothers to join him at the feast. Cutting into the side of the beast, Tup removed a choice morsel and raised it to his lips, tasting the copper tang of fresh blood as his pack mates joined him at the carcass.  
  
Tearing into the fresh meat with a frenzy he had never known, Tup suddenly stopped and lifted his head, scenting the air again. Snarling and growling to his pack, Tup pushed to his feet and dropped the remains of his meal beside the carcass, drawn in another direction. Stepping over the kill, he turned and ran off again, his sharpened senses guiding his path.  
  
Weaving through the trees with a confidence that could only come from the wolde that had accepted him, Tup twisted through the thickening undergrowth and delved deep into his heart for more speed, sensing that time was vitally important now. Dropping his weight, he crashed through the undergrowth, not caring about the risks as he followed his instincts through.  
  
Bursting from the undergrowth, Tup skidded into the clearing and stopped, staring in wide eyes wonder at the berra sprawled in the leaf little with a snare line wrapped so tightly around one leg. Dropping into a crouch and approaching slowly, Tup reached out to lightly stroke its furry head, talking softly in his new tongue to calm the creature. Fingers sinking into the coarse black fur of the berra, Tup made his way slowly along the side of the massive creature towards the tightly wound snare.  
  
Reaching out slowly, Tup examined the snare line and the way it was attached to the nearby tree before pulling his dagger and getting a firm grip on the line. Cutting though the line, Tup reached out to his pack through the new bond he could feel inside and smiled as he heard them coming towards him. He could only hope that his message got through to the wolde clearly.  
  
Breaking through the line, he sheathed his blade again and shuffled back to the berra just as his pack broke through the undergrowth. Instantly the berra tried to rise and defend itself but Tup calmed the berra with a soft touch and beckoned the wolde closer, smiling as they dragged with them pieces of fresh meat, branches laden with berries and even fish still dripping wet.  
  
Bringing the food closer to the berra, the wolde left it within easy reach of the much larger beast and moved back again. Talking softly and still running his fingers through the long black fur presented to him, Tup encouraged the berra to eat as he started to gently unwind the snare from the deep wound it had left in the leg of the berra.  
  
Peace settled across the small clearing as Tup worked and the berra ate, regaining its strength after some time trapped in this small space. The wolde sat quietly around the edges of the clearing, watching over Tup and the berra with a protective feeling about them. Using the local flora to clean the wound, Tup stood and searched the surroundings, coming back with a large leaf that had cupped to hold water and used the water to wash the last debris out before wrapping the wound with a second, larger leaf and tying it with a vine. It wasn't a very clean dressing but at least the bloody wound was covered.  
  
Sinking down beside the berra, Tup couldn't help running his fingers through the fur of the magnificent creature, he felt so connected to the berra and the wolde around the clearing. Shuffling back and leaning into the berra, Tup reached out and stole a handful of berries from the nearest branch to eat as he relaxed and kept watch over the wounded berra.  
  
Slowly the wolde approached again, flopping down around Tup and the berra though one particularly brave little wolde came right up and dropped his head on Tup's thigh, letting out a contented little huff as it settled.  
  
Calm and almost dozy, Tup finished his berries and ruffled the fur of the wolde draped over him, feeling totally comfortable and safe amid the animals. The wolde that had decided to use him as a pillow shuffled around until it was settled fully in his lap and snuffled again, head resting on Tup's knee as the pack started to doze off. Even the berra started to doze, hunger satisfied and safe amid the wolde. Seriously considering following the wolde and berra into a peaceful slumber, Tup settled back a little more and half closed his eyes, idly stroking the wolde in his lap.  
  
Suddenly though, the peace was shattered as a bundle of fluff and half formed feathers thumped into Tup's chest and dropped to land on the wolde to startle it awake. Calming the wolde with one hand, Tup gently picked up the brown and white fluff and laughed as it flapped two stubby little wings that were more fuzz than feathers and clattered its beak as it gripped his hand. Clicking his teeth together, Tup smoothed out the few feathers he could see and brushed his fingertips over the fluff, revealing two bright eyes and a sharp little beak under the soft mass.  
  
Nudging the wolde in his lap, Tup growled at it softly and raised the olwira chick to his chest, protecting it from harm as he wolde stood and padded over to the remains of the food scattered around the berra. Picking up a small chunk of meat that remained, the wolde carried it back to Tup and returned to his lap, depositing the meat beside Tup and curling up again. Chuckling quietly, Tup pulled at the meat, tearing off small pieces and feeding them to the olwira chick until it no longer called for food.  
  
Resting the little fledgling on his chest, Tup stroked its back lightly and settled back against the berra, free hand falling to stroke the wolde in his lap as he started to drift again. This time he didn't fight the pull of sleep. He knew the animal spirits would protect him from harm until he came out of the spirit walk and revealed what he had discovered.  
  
Drifting, Tup felt the weight return to his body and twitched, eyes popping open as he pushed himself up off the dirt floor of the sacred tent. Shaking his head quickly, he sat up and blinked slowly, trying to come to terms with what he had seen.  
'It's impossible.' one of the other spiritual leaders gasped.  
'The spirits are never wrong.' another replied.  
'They must be in conflict because the Naak are not of this world.'  
'Nonsense. The spirits know what they are doing.'  
  
Looking down at the marks now left on his chest and arms, Tup smiled softly and reached up to brush the raised markings on his face. There was no conflict, the spirits were in agreement about the place the Naak clan would have in this new world.  
'All is as it should be. The spirits are in agreement, the Naak men are too complex to place under the guidance of a single spirit animal.' Tup declared, easing to his feet and turning to the senior most leaders within the space. 'The wolde, the berra and the olwira all accepted my people willingly. The wolde for our skills as a pack. The berra for our strength and courage. The olwira for our wisdom and patience.'  
'Never before have the spirits agreed to share a clan among them. Do you honestly believe that you can balance the calls of three spirit animals?'  
'I do, Elder. I understand what the spirits have asked of me and will faithfully lead my clansmen into the future.' Tup nodded, bowing his head respectfully. 'The wolde came in a pack, welcoming me to run with them and sharing in the dera I killed for them. Just like the wolde, where you see one Naak clansman, you will find others nearby. The berra I encountered was hurt, caught within a snare line left behind by an unthinking hunter. The Naak are strong but they can still be taken down by the smallest of things, just as this berra was. The olwira that came to me was young, not yet ready to fly but determined to try anyway. The Naak are still young and inexperienced but we are ready to spread our wings and fly free.'  
  
~%~%~%~%~  
  
Proving that he could settle down and focus on a new task, Hardcase returned to the village with a dera across his shoulders and a brace of rabbers in one hand. He also had four phesla birds with their magnificent plumage in his other hand and a strong of fish hanging from the dera antlers. Bow secured along side the phesla and his shirt stained with blood, he proudly walked into the village and approached the fire pit where several women were waiting to help with the catch.  
  
Setting his bow and hunting dagger down out of the way, Hardcase stripped off his blood soaked shirt and hoisted the dera up onto the frame that the women had put together while he was out hunting. Taking up one of the skinning knives, he set to work peeling off the dera hide carefully, knife in his left hand and using his right to peel the skin away from the meat underneath.  
  
Trudging into the village a few minutes later, Fives joined the group by the fire with his own catch of rabbers, another string of fish and a pair of boalet on his shoulders. Handing off the smaller animals to the women, Fives approached one of the frames and set one of the boalet down before hanging up the other in readiness. Peeling off his shirt and putting his hunting weapons aside, Fives hung the second boalet and accepted a skinning blade from one of the women.  
  
Making sure that the boalet was mounted properly, Fives started in on the thick hide of the beast, plunging the sharp little knife in and tearing through the belly of the creature. Jumping back to avoid getting splattered, he guided the guts into the wide wooden bucket under the frame and reached in to keep guiding all the viscera out so he could sever it at both ends. Scraping everything out into the bucket, Fives nodded and helped one of the women to move the bucket out of the way so he could keep working.  
  
Looking up from his skinning efforts, Hardcase grinned softly and tugged down on the skin again, revealing more of the muscle structure beneath. Slicing through the little bits of sinew that stuck to the skin, he kept working it off in sections and considered what might be done with it.  
'Well, this sure beats our old life, hey Fives.' he called, not worried about the blood on his skin as he turned his attention to the belly area of his dera.  
'You're not wrong there Hardcase.' Fives agreed, grunting as he pulled at the skin of his kill. 'I still miss the guys from the Resolute though.'  
'This is for the best, Fives. By now, everyone in the GAR knows the names of those lost for this world. Better to be considered dead than traitors.' Hardcase shrugged, trimming away more sinew and working the belly flaps away from the meat.  
'I suppose so. It still hurts though.' Fives nodded, slicing around the back trotters of his kill and starting the laborious skinning process. 'Starting to regret taking these boalet though. They're always a hassle to skin.'  
'Trina told me a little trick to skinning a boalet.' Hardcase offered, putting his knife down tugging the skin back along the flanks of the dera. 'Flip it around so it's hanging from the front feet and work backwards. Something about the way the skin attaches to the muscles makes it easier to skin them from the neck back.'  
'Huh. Thanks vod.' Fives chuckled, putting his knife down and unhooking the carcass.  
  
Getting the skin completely off his dera, Hardcase crouched and pulled out the heavy utility knife on his belt, using the heavier blade to sever the head and finish slicing the skin free. Handing the skill to one of the women for tanning and setting the head aside for the moment, he took up a heavier knife and started the really bloody work of breaking down the carcass into more manageable pieces.  
  
Understanding now why other hunters spoke of the odour of a freshly killed boalet, Fives took a moment to clear his nose of the unfamiliar smell before finishing the skinning and moving onto butchering. In all his short life, he had never smelt anything quite like this. It was sharp and sour, a meaty odour that was a little like the smell of scorched flesh after a klanker shot burned through their armour. Just like when Droidbait had been killed on the Rishi moon.  
'Fives! Put the knife down! Fives!' Hardcase's sharp voice pulled Fives from his thoughts. 'Fives!'  
  
Shaking himself quickly, Fives looked down at the knife in his hand and noted the killing grip he had on the bone hilt. Breath shuddering through his chest, he dropped the knife and turned, wild eyes locking onto Hardcase.  
'Easy vod, easy now. I've got you, I'm here.' Hardcase soothed, hurrying over to hook his arms under Fives' shoulders. 'Shh, you're safe now.'  
'I need Echo.' Fives choked, grabbing at Hardcase's back. 'I need him now.'  
'Someone run and find Echo! Hurry now!' Hardcase called, sending two of the younger women scrambling to find him. 'Come on, let's get you home.'  
'Okay.' Fives nodded, still clinging desperately to Hardcase as they walked away from the carcasses.  
  
Keeping a firm grip on Fives, Hardcase guided him back to the wood and mud hut that he shared with Echo. Brushing aside the thick curtain that covered the doorway, Hardcase worked his boots off and held Fives as he struggled with his own before they entered the simple little home. Crossing the main room slowly, Hardcase guided Fives down to sit on the rough hewn bench and crouched in front of him.  
'Now you just stay right here, okay? I'm going to get some water so you can clean up a bit. Stay right here, Echo is coming and I won't be far.' Hardcase coaxed, squeezing Fives' hands lightly.  
'Okay.' Fives nodded, shoulders hunching as he stared at the ground.  
'Hang in there vod, we'll take care of you.' Hardcase promised, getting up and hustling outside to fetch the water.  
  
Running towards the well, Hardcase made sure the knots were secure and dropped the bucket in, letting the rope play out thanks to the rock always kept in the bottom of the well bucket. Listening for the splash, Hardcase waited a few seconds before starting to winch the bucket up again, glancing back to make sure Fives hadn't tried to sneak out while his back was turned.  
'Hardcase, what's wrong? What's happened to Fives?' Echo asked, skidding to a stop beside him.  
'Flashbacks. I don't know what or why. All I know is one minute he was skinning a boalet and the next he was frozen and holding a skinning knife like he was going to kill someone.' Hardcase explained, grabbing the bucket as soon as it was within reach. 'I got him back to your place and ran to get some water. He's covered in blood.'  
'I'll take care of him. Right now, he needs the last man of Domino to be there. I can bring him around, given time and privacy.' Echo nodded, grabbing the second bucket from the ground and holding it steady. 'If you're determined to help, stay outside and make sure no one else comes in.'  
'Copy that.' Hardcase replied, filling the second bucket and leaving the well bucket sitting on the edge for the next person.  
  
~%~%~%~%~  
  
Accepting the sword Chopper was holding out to him, Dogma moved back a step and pulled the sword from its black leather sheath. The blade was about half his height, just perfect for personal defence and any animals he might encounter while out and about. Tossing the sheath back to Chopper, he moved back a little more and settled his weight, getting a feel for the weapon his brother had forged for him. Moving through the steps that the older men had been teaching him, Dogma spun the sword around him, blocking and parrying imagined thrusts and slashes aimed at him from all sides.  
  
Leaning back on his anvil, Chopper smiled softly at the sight of Dogma testing his new sword and nodded happily. He was still learning this new trade but he was showing signs of consistent improvement. Or at least that's what his trainer had been telling him.  
'You wouldn't happen to have a second sword ready for use, Chopper?' Jesse asked, watching Dogma running through the steps quickly.  
'Yeah, I've got another one. Why?' Chopper nodded, setting Dogma's discarded scabbard down and retrieving a second sheathed sword.  
'Well, Dogma's doing just fine sparring with his shadow but the real test will be if he can hold his own against another blade.' Jesse shrugged, reaching out to take the sword.  
'Just don't break them or each other.' Chopper sighed, shaking his head slowly. 'Jester, you busy?'  
'Not right now.' Jester replied, emerging from his working hut just near Chopper's smithy. 'I'll go find Kix and Punch.'  
'Good idea. I just know this is going to go badly.' Chopper grinned, digging through his supplies again. 'Here, before you two go trying to kill each other.'  
  
Coming up with two small square shields, Chopper checked each one for any defects before walking over and handing them to the combatants. Drawing his own sword, a gift from his trainer, Chopper flipped it in his hand so he was holding the blade and used the pommel to draw an impromptu sparring ring around the pair.  
'Be careful you two. These are the first swords I've forged all on my own and I really would like to present one to Cody.' Chopper sighed, sheathing his sword again. 'I'll forge another for Rex once I've finished these plough shears.'  
'We'll be careful Chopper.' Jesse promised, looking at the sword in his hands. 'But you're probably smart to have sent for Kix and Punch anyway.'  
'Accidents happen, I'd rather not get hurt right as we're getting a real handle on civilian life.' Dogma added, still admiring his sword. 'This really is beautiful Chopper.'  
'Thanks Dogma, I'm still learning but Helsen tells me I'm doing better than she did as an apprentice.' Chopper grinned, flushing faintly at the praise.  
  
Spotting Kix and Punch as they headed towards the hastily scratched sparring ring, Jesse nodded and raised his sword into a familiar guard position across his chest with his shield held lower and ready for a quick defence.  
'Someone has to trial Chopper's newest swords as we got the job.' Jesse explained, dropping his weight a little more.  
'We'll be careful Kix.' Dogma nodded, setting his stance and watching Jesse closely.  
'You'd better be. I've got enough to worry about without you adding to it, Jesse.' Kix sighed, wandering over to settled under the shade cast by the roof over Chopper's smithy. 'As if I wasn't already busy enough.'  
'We're all bust in our own ways.' Chopper nodded, nudging Kix lightly. 'You might want to move over the other side. I've still got plenty to get done.'  
'You're not going to watch the fight?' Kix asked, moving over and watching the two men circling slowly, each one probing at the other's defences.  
'I've got the rest of the personal weaponry to complete and a collection of arrowheads before Helsen returns from her visit back to her people.' Chopper shrugged, grabbing one of the sword blanks stacked up in one corner of his working space.  
  
Settling back in the shade, Kix smiled softly as he watched Jesse and Dogma sparring, swords flashing in the bright sun as they twisted and danced around each other. The air was soon filled with the metallic zing as the blades clashed and scraped off each other, Dogma trying to break through Jesse's defences. Pushing Dogma's sword away, Jesse lunged in and thrust, nearly slipping past Dogma's defences before Dogma snapped his shield down and batted Jesse's sword to the side. Regaining his balance, Jesse swung again and Tup spun, their swords shrieking against each other as the two men circled again then stepped back to re-evaluate the situation.  
'They're so graceful.' Punch remarked, sinking down beside Kix and watching the fight. 'It's hard to believe how far we've come.'  
'Particularly when you look at Chopper.' Kix agreed, looking over towards Chopper as he prodded at the blazing coals around the sword blank he was working on. 'We've all come a long way but to learn a trade so completely unlike anything we've known.'  
'Most of us have had to learn something completely new. Just look at our farmers, hunters and shepherds.' Punch shrugged, adjusting the medical pouches on his belt. 'Everyone is changing and growing into new skills.'  
'And it is good.' Kix smiled, slinging one arm around Punch's back. 'We are home now.'  
  
Pulling the blank from the fire, Chopper turned to his anvil and picked up his hammer, starting to pound the heated metal into shape with confident strokes. Ignoring the little bits of slag that came flying off, Chopper angled his strikes and started to really bring the shape of the sword out of the blank metal. There was something oddly comforting to take an ingot of raw metal and work it until it became whatever Chopper needed from it.  
  
Working up a good sweat, Chopper kept refining the basic shape until the metal had cooled too far to continue working. Wiping the sweat from his face, he returned the slowly forming blade to the heat and poked the coals again, stirring up the heat once more. Reaching for the ladle sitting in one of the water buckets around the smithy, Chopper dunked it into the cool water and quenched his thirst before pouring the rest over his head and down his back.  
'How's fight going?' he asked, going back to the fire and checking on the sword in the coals.  
'They're still feeling each other out.' Punch replied, leaning into Kix a little more. 'Ohh but Dogma just scored what could have been a killing blow.'  
'so long as they don't break the blades.' Chopper nodded, pulling the sword out again and going back to his anvil for another round.  
  
Listening to Chopper hammering away, Dogma smiled softly and lunged in again, swords grating against each other once more. This time Jesse locked his weight and snapped out with his shield, slamming it into Dogma's unprotected side. Stumbling back, Dogma lowered his shield a little and rubbed at his aching side, a sharp glint in his eyes as he resettled his stance and hefted his sword for another round.  
'Without breaking anything!' Kix called, half getting to his feet.  
'I'm fine, it's just going to bruise.' Dogma replied, stepping in once more.  
  
Shaking his head slowly as he sank back down, Kix was just getting comfortable again when he heard a yelp from Chopper and spun around. Catching the faintest whiff of burning skin, Kix bolted to his feet and turned just as Chopper grabbed up his water ladle and poured it down his front with a sigh.  
'Chopper, you okay?' Kix asked, resting one hand on his shoulder.  
'Yeah, just an ember down my shirt. Hazard of the job.' Chopper shrugged, plucking at his shirt as he turned. 'Don't worry about it, I'm fine.'  
'Let me…' Kix started, reaching for Chopper's shirt so he could see the damage  
'Whoa! Oof! Okay, you win Dogma.' Jesse cried, distracting Kix from his checks.  
  
Helping Jesse to his feet, Dogma brushed the dirt off his back and grinned, proud of his victory but disappointed that Tup hadn't been around to witness it. Of course he understood that Tup was busy with his new responsibilities as their spiritual leader but still, it was always nice to show off a little for loved ones.  
'How'd they go?' Chopper asked, holding out his hands for Jesse's blade.  
'These are great Chopper. You'll go far as our smith.' Jesse grinned, handing over the sword and watching as Chopper examined it closely.  
'A few little nicks in the blade but nothing serious.' Chopper remarked, examining the blade carefully. 'I should be able to take those out and still present this to Cody.'  
'Leave them in as proof that this blade has been tested and found worthy of him.' Dogma suggested, picking up his scabbard and securing his sword. 'You know Cody appreciates that sort of thing.'  
'Yeah, he always has preferred battle tested over shiny.' Punch agreed, joining the group around the table. 'He'll appreciate the effort that you put into it.'


End file.
